Abu Dhabi-based Marlan Space, a new space company affiliated with International Holding Company (IHC), has formed a joint venture with US-based space infrastructure company Loft Orbital to create Orbitworks, the Middle East’s first private space infrastructure company. Orbitworks will be the first UAE company to produce commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, with an initial investment of over US$100 million.
Orbitworks plans to produce up to fifty 500-kilogram satellites annually, utilizing Loft Orbital’s standardized satellite platform that can support a variety of missions, including telecommunications, earth observation, and scientific research. The company will construct a state-of-the-art facility in the UAE to integrate and test satellites, with the first platform expected to be completed by early 2025.
Orbitworks has already secured components for ten satellites, with the first launch planned for the first quarter of 2026. The venture aims to collaborate with local component manufacturers and technology providers in the UAE, leveraging Loft’s expertise for seamless technology integration. Recruitment for talent in hardware, software, test engineering, and other aerospace disciplines is already underway, both internationally and within the UAE.
