EDGE Group, ST Engineering Partner to Advance UAE’s Sirb Programme

• EDGE’s space-focused entity FADA and ST Engineering partner to advance SAR satellite development and national space expertise

• ST Engineering has been appointed as a strategic international partner for the UAE’s Sirb Programme

Abu Dhabi, February 19. As prime contractor for the UAE Space Agency’s prestigious Sirb Programme, EDGE Group has partnered with ST Engineering, a global technology, defence, and engineering group, to accelerate the development of the UAE’s sovereign synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite capabilities.

A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed by Waleid Al Mesmari, President, Space and Cyber Technologies Cluster, EDGE and Low Jin Phang, President, Digital Systems, ST Engineering in the presence of His Excellency Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, His Excellency Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Senior Advisor, EDGE, Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, EDGE, and Ravinder Singh, Chairman, ST Engineering.

The signing formalised the parties’ collaboration to advance the Sirb Programme – a national initiative led by the UAE Space Agency aimed at significantly enhancing the UAE’s Radar Earth Observation capabilities. This milestone marks an important step forward in strengthening innovation and technological leadership in the sector.

His Excellency Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said: “Our collaboration with FADA and the local industrial consortium marks a pivotal step in expanding UAE’s private space sector. The enablement of the private sector is fundamental to our efforts in executing the Sirb programme and cultivating a dynamic, competitive commercial space industry. Empowering the private sector by expanding local, regional, and international cooperation and partnerships is an investment in the future and sustainability of the national space sector.”

Waleid Al Mesmari, President, Space & Cyber Technologies, EDGE Group, said: “This partnership marks another critical milestone in the UAE’s space journey. As prime contractor for the UAE Space Agency’s Sirb Programme, EDGE is committed to advancing sovereign space capabilities in alignment with the UAE’s National Space Strategy. Partnering with ST Engineering as the Strategic International Partner enables us to accelerate the programme’s development and foster a self-sustaining space sector that drives national innovation.”

Low Jin Phang, President, Digital Systems, ST Engineering, said: “This partnership is a testament to our capabilities in satellite systems and our standing as a trusted international partner. With the success of TeLEOS-1 and TeLEOS-2, we bring proven expertise in integrating optical and SAR satellites and we are well positioned to advance the Sirb Programme, enabling the capture of high-resolution Earth observation images in all conditions. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to working with EDGE Group to drive the programme’s success.

Under this partnership, ST Engineering work closely with EDGE to deliver a single-polarisation SAR satellite and ground segment, along with the transfer of technical expertise for the SAR payload. This partnership reflects the shared commitment of both ST Engineering and EDGE Group to advancing the UAE’s leadership in high resolution satellite imaging, autonomous space systems, and sovereign satellite development.

Attendees of IDEX 2025 can visit EDGE and its portfolio of companies at indoor stand C20 in Hall 5 and outdoor stand CP-270 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until February 21, 2025.