Abu Dhabi, UAE – EDGE’s space-focused entity, FADA, has finalised a contract with Orbitworks, an Abu Dhabi-based satellite integrator, to support assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) capabilities on Sirb-1, the first phase of Sirb, the UAE Space Agency-led programme to develop and launch sovereign synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite capabilities in the UAE.

Orbitworks will join Sirb’s local consortium, a cornerstone of Sirb’s mission to foster a competitive and innovative commercial space sector which promotes the growth of the UAE’s knowledge-based economy.

The contract was signed by Waleid Al Mesmari, President of Space & Cyber Technologies, EDGE, and Dr Hamdullah Mohib, Acting CEO, Orbitworks, during Make it in the Emirates 2026.

EDGE and Orbitworks will collaborate with international partners under a Transfer of Knowledge (ToK) programme to absorb, develop, and permanently localise AIT for SAR payload technologies within the UAE. Through structured ToK, EDGE and Orbitworks will acquire and develop expertise in high-performance sensing and advanced testing.

Waleid Al Mesmari, President of Space & Cyber Technologies, EDGE, stated: “This partnership is another step in our national effort to unite industry experts and Emirati talent. Sirb reflects our shared mission to protect the UAE’s sovereign resilience and drive long-term innovation. We are proud to drive a complete ecosystem for satellite development, transforming the UAE into a hub for earth observation and radar imaging expertise.”

Dr Hamdullah Mohib, Acting CEO, Orbitworks, said: “This contract is a direct result of the sovereign infrastructure we have built here in Abu Dhabi. Our AIT facility at KEZAD – purpose-built for high-volume satellite production, environmental qualification testing, and payload integration – gives us the technical foundation to take on complex programmes like Sirb and deliver them on Emirati soil. The UAE no longer needs to look beyond its borders to assemble, integrate and test advanced satellite systems. That capability exists here, and this partnership with EDGE and FADA puts it to work.”

Led and funded by the UAE Space Agency, Sirb represents a strategic national investment to advance sovereign SAR capabilities, enable technology transfer, and strengthen the UAE’s space sector through the development of national talent, local industry, and integrated supply chains, with EDGE serving as prime contractor in an Emirati consortium.

About EDGE

Launched in November 2019, the UAE’s EDGE is one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly skilled talent to thrive.

With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Technologies & Industrialisation, and Homeland Security.

For more information, visit edgegroup.com

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About Orbitworks

Orbitworks is the UAE’s commercial satellite constellation production and operation company, established as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Marlan Space, a new space company affiliated with International Holding Company (IHC), and Loft Orbital, the global satellite infrastructure and mission operations leader headquartered in San Francisco. Operating from a 50,000-square-foot production facility in Abu Dhabi’s KEZAD economic zone, the only facility of its kind in the region built for commercial scale, Orbitworks manufactures and integrates AI-enabled satellite constellations for sovereign, commercial, and institutional customers. The company’s flagship program, Altair, is a 10-satellite, AI-enabled Earth observation constellation currently in production in Abu Dhabi.

Katherine Raso
Katherine.raso@orbitworks.ae