Abu Dhabi-based Marlan Space, a new space company affiliated with International Holding Company (IHC), has teamed up with Loft Orbital to create Orbitworks, the Middle East’s first private space infrastructure company.
Orbitworks represents a major advancement in the UAE’s rapidly expanding space sector, as it becomes the first company in the region to produce commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. With an initial investment exceeding $100 million, Orbitworks plans to manufacture up to fifty 500 kg satellites annually. Founded in 2017, Loft Orbital brings its extensive expertise, technology, and solid reputation to the joint venture, supporting a variety of missions in telecommunications, earth observation, and scientific research.
Orbitworks will soon begin constructing a cutting-edge facility equipped with advanced hardware, software, and industrial technologies for satellite integration and testing.
The company has already secured components for its first ten satellites, with the first launch anticipated as early as the first quarter of 2026. Orbitworks will help Loft Orbital further its mission of flying any payload for any customer with the shortest time to orbit.
Orbitworks also plans to collaborate with local component manufacturers and technology providers in the UAE, utilizing Loft’s solutions for seamless technology integration.
The first satellite platform is expected to be assembled, integrated, and tested by early 2025. Loft Orbital and Marlan Space have started recruiting talent both internationally and within the UAE, focusing on key areas such as hardware, software, test engineering, and other aerospace engineering disciplines.
Given the UAE’s development of one of the most advanced AI ecosystems globally, Orbitworks will also collaborate with AI companies and research organizations, providing them with a straightforward pathway to deploy their applications in orbit.
Pierre-Damien Vaujour, CEO of Loft Orbital, remarked, “We have long believed in the dynamism and growth of the UAE’s space sector, and we are proud to contribute to the country’s journey toward becoming a space powerhouse. From our first meeting with Marlan Space, we were inspired by their vision to bring scaled production and operations of LEO satellite constellations to the UAE. We are excited to support and partner with all players in the country’s space, satellite, cloud, and AI industries.
