The UAE’s push to develop a sovereign space industry has taken another significant step forward. EDGE, through its space-focused entity FADA, has signed a contract with Abu Dhabi-based satellite integrator Orbitworks to localize key satellite production capabilities. The partnership is a central component of Sirb-1, the initial phase of the UAE Space Agency-led programme to develop and launch the nation’s own synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.
Quick Facts
- EDGE contracts Orbitworks for the Sirb-1 satellite programme.
- Focus is on localising satellite assembly, integration, and testing (AIT).
- The deal aims to build the UAE’s sovereign SAR satellite capabilities.
Building a Sovereign Space Supply Chain
The agreement brings Orbitworks into Sirb’s local industrial consortium, a strategic move designed to build a competitive and self-sufficient commercial space sector within the UAE. Signed during the Make it in the Emirates 2026 event, the contract focuses on localizing the assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) for high-performance radar imaging satellites.
Both EDGE and Orbitworks will work with international partners under a Transfer of Knowledge (ToK) programme. This initiative is designed to absorb and permanently establish expertise in SAR payload technologies and advanced testing on Emirati soil, moving the country away from a reliance on foreign capabilities.
Waleid Al Mesmari, President of Space & Cyber Technologies at EDGE, commented on the partnership’s strategic importance.
“This partnership is another step in our national effort to unite industry experts and Emirati talent. Sirb reflects our shared mission to protect the UAE’s sovereign resilience and drive long-term innovation. We are proud to drive a complete ecosystem for satellite development, transforming the UAE into a hub for earth observation and radar imaging expertise.”
Leveraging Local Infrastructure for National Programmes
This collaboration leverages existing infrastructure within the UAE to support ambitious national goals. Orbitworks brings its purpose-built AIT facility in Abu Dhabi’s KEZAD economic zone to the project, providing the technical foundation to handle complex programmes locally.
Dr. Hamdullah Mohib, Acting CEO of Orbitworks, highlighted this capability as a key enabler for the partnership.
“This contract is a direct result of the sovereign infrastructure we have built here in Abu Dhabi. Our AIT facility at KEZAD – purpose-built for high-volume satellite production, environmental qualification testing, and payload integration – gives us the technical foundation to take on complex programmes like Sirb and deliver them on Emirati soil. The UAE no longer needs to look beyond its borders to assemble, integrate and test advanced satellite systems. That capability exists here, and this partnership with EDGE and FADA puts it to work.”
Led and funded by the UAE Space Agency, the Sirb programme represents a national investment to advance sovereign SAR technologies, with EDGE serving as the prime contractor in the all-Emirati consortium.
About EDGE
Launched in November 2019, the UAE’s EDGE is one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly skilled talent to thrive. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Technologies & Industrialisation, and Homeland Security.
About Orbitworks
Orbitworks is the UAE’s commercial satellite constellation production and operation company, established as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Marlan Space, a new space company affiliated with International Holding Company (IHC), and Loft Orbital, the global satellite infrastructure and mission operations leader headquartered in San Francisco. Operating from a 50,000-square-foot production facility in Abu Dhabi’s KEZAD economic zone, the only facility of its kind in the region built for commercial scale, Orbitworks manufactures and integrates AI-enabled satellite constellations for sovereign, commercial, and institutional customers.
Source: Zawya
