Yahsat secures first-ever Shariah compliant space insurance

Yahsat secures first-ever Shariah compliant space insurance
(Emirates News Agency UAE) April 7, 2010
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company has successfully secured the first ever Shariah compliant space insurance policy. The insurance solution, which was specifically developed to meet Yahsat’s needs, covers the launch and in-orbit operations of Y1A and Y1B, the Yahsat scheduled to be launched in 2011. The uniquely crafted insurance solution was a seamless fit with the innovative technology, deep regional insights and fresh approach that Yahsat will bring to the markets and the customers that it will serve. "Insurance protection is an integral part of our satellite program. With firm roots in the region, we are proud to be the first organization to use a new Shariah-compliant insurance solution for space programs," said Jassem Mohamed Al Zaabi, CEO,

UAE: Brush off your Failure folder and get innovative

Brush off your Failure folder and get innovative

(UAE National) March 7, 2010, By Rehan Khan

Being an innovator can be a risky endeavour. Sometimes you get it right, most times you get it wrong. For starters, I have created a folder on my hard drive called “Failure” and in it I’ve been serendipitously archiving all of the business failure stories I come across. My first entry was Teledesic, a programme in the 1990s to launch a constellation of 840 active satellites in a low earth orbit, with the ability to provide uplinks of as much as 100 megabytes per second and downlinks of up to 720MB/s anywhere on the planet. It was marketed as an internet in the sky and would be the end of all fixed-line telecommunications operators. It even attracted funding from such luminaries as Craig McCaw, Bill Gates and Paul Allen. The project was officially closed in 2002.

Global space business leaders to converge in Dubai for inaugural World Space Risk Forum

Global space business leaders to converge in Dubai for inaugural World Space Risk Forum
(Business Intelligence Middle East) February 23, 2010
UAE. The World Space Risk Forum, a bi-annual conference that brings together professionals in the space business, will be held, in association with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), in Dubai from 1 - 3 March 2010. Over 280 delegates, 85% of whom are from overseas, will come together at the forum to exchange ideas on space risk management and insurance. Delegates attending the event will include CEOs and CFOs of satellite manufacturers, satellite operators and launch service providers, in addition to all the major global insurance brokers and underwriter companies. Over the course of the three day forum, they will discuss key topics such as Technical Developments in the Space Industry; Impact of the Global Economy on the Space Industry; Legal and Regulatory Environment within the Space Industry; and the outlook for the sector over the next three decades.

Discussons on Regional Space Agency in the Middle East

This article in the UAE's 'The Nation' newspaper talks about a conference currently underway in the Middle East in which countries are talking about the possibility of creating a regional agency. Though some countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have space programs, smaller nations may not have the resources to carry out a robust program on their own. It will be interesting to see how these discussions develop.

Space experts call for regional agency
(The Nation) December 7, 2009, Kareem Shaheen

ABU DHABI // Space experts are calling for the creation of a regional agency to bring the Middle East’s various programmes together, and help train the next generation of rocket scientists.

“Like there’s the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we want the Muslim Institute of Technology,” said Ahmad al Dousari, the director of space and remote sensing at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

“As individual countries, we cannot compete with India for instance. India is a huge country with a big budget and a big space programme. We don’t even have the manpower to put the programme on its feet.”

Dr al Dousari is one of several high-profile officials and scientists who are in the capital for the second Global Space Technology Forum, which starts today.

The three-day conference is an “opportunity for us as the UAE to get to know what’s happening now in the field of space”, said one official from the UAE Space Reconnaissance Centre, which is part of the Armed Forces.