Doha, June 30 (QNA) - Qatar's satellite operator, Es'hailSat, has described its strategic partnership with Turkiye's national satellite operator Turksat and a manufacturing contract with France's Thales Alenia Space as the company's most significant investment to date, saying the agreements will accelerate its regional expansion and strengthen Qatar-Turkiye cooperation in the space sector.
The agreements, signed in Doha on Tuesday, cover the development of the next-generation high-throughput Es'hail-3/Turksat-Biruni satellite, which will be designed and built by Thales Alenia Space.
Es'hailSat said the Ka-band satellite will be positioned at 50 degrees East and will provide high-speed connectivity with the ability to dynamically allocate coverage, beams, frequencies and bandwidth in response to customer demand.
The satellite will extend coverage across the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Central Asia and surrounding maritime regions, supporting applications including broadcasting, telecommunications, government communications, mobile connectivity, maritime services, enterprise VSAT networks and remote communications.
The company said the satellite would significantly enhance service continuity, capacity and flexibility for its customers while providing secure sovereign satellite communications infrastructure.
Under the partnership, Es'hailSat and Turksat will combine their satellite assets, ground infrastructure, distribution networks and customer relationships to deliver services across complementary markets. The companies said the collaboration would enable them to meet growing demand for high-throughput broadband, in-flight and maritime connectivity, and government and enterprise VSAT services, while sharing infrastructure investment and maximizing the satellite's commercial potential from the outset.
Es'hailSat Chief Executive Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari described the agreements as a "historic turning point" for the company, saying they reflected Qatar's ambition to become a leading satellite services provider.
The partnership with Turksat represents a shared vision for innovation and sustainable growth in the space sector, while the agreement with Thales Alenia Space will enable us to deliver high-quality communications services, expand into strategic new markets and strengthen the resilience and independence of Qatar's communications infrastructure, he said.
Turksat Chief Executive Ahmet Hamdi Atalay said the project represented more than cooperation between two allied countries, describing it as a response to the rapidly evolving satellite communications market.
He added that by combining infrastructure and expertise, the two sides are strengthening capabilities and delivering next-generation connectivity that will create significant opportunities for both the public and private sectors.
Meanwhile, Thales Alenia Space Chief Executive Herve Derrey said the contract recognized the company's ability to deliver a fully digital, software-defined communications satellite capable of being reprogrammed in orbit and carrying hosted payloads for both commercial and government customers.
Es'hailSat said the agreements laid the foundation for the next phase of its growth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa while reinforcing the long-term commitment of all three partners to provide advanced and secure satellite communications services. (QNA)