Yahsat’s mobility business secures $86m distribution contracts

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a subsidiary of Yahsat, has secured long-term distribution agreements worth AED316m ($86m) with a global service provider for the next three years.

The agreements strengthen the growing dividend capacity and add to the group’s contracted backlog of more than AED 7bn ($1.91bn), equivalent to over five times the annual revenues of 2020.

Yahsat is expected to roll out its next-generation satellite, Thuraya 4-NGS, in 2023 and commence commercial operations in 2024. With leading companies such as Airbus, SpaceX and Cobham selected to support the construction of T4-NGS, and by securing a long-term contract with the UAE Government, Yahsat continues to grow across new and existing product lines to deliver higher capabilities and flexibility while increasing capacity and coverage across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Yahsat, said: “Today’s announcement is another milestone for  Yahsat and Thuraya, as we push forward in growing and forging new long-term partnerships to drive even greater value for our shareholders, partners and customers. These partnerships enable us to deliver consistent financial and operational results whilst ensuring our ability to invest in growth with new industry-leading products and solutions, both in the mobile and fixed satellite solutions space, to cement Yahsat’s leading position as a trusted partner of choice in the satellite communications industry.”

The total annual retail MSS market where Thuraya operates is estimated to be more than AED 3.67bn ($1bn) and forecasted to grow at around 4% annually. Yahsat is set to capture a growing share of this market as it rolls out its next-generation satellite in the coming years.