UAE Embassy, Yahsat, and Thuraya host UAE Satellite Industry in Washington DC

Washington, D.C.: Yesterday, the CEO's of Thuraya Telecommunications and Al Yah Satellite Communications (Yahsat) companies, the UAE Ambassador to the United States, as well as more than three hundred of the space industry's top executives and government officials, recognised the UAE's burgeoning satellite and space industry in a captivating evening reception held at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. The event brought together key industry decision makers for an evening of networking, conversation, and learning on the outskirts of the annual Satellite 2014 Conference. Yousef Al Otabia, UAE Ambassador to the United States stated, "Within the last decade, the UAE has gone from being a procurer of many technologies in different sectors, to a producer and service provider. Whether on the manufacturing end, or with development and integration, the process of diversifying of our economy has touched on many levels, and Satellite technology is one of the leading areas in which the UAE has excelled." Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat, and Samer Halawi, CEO of Thuraya, both presented during the event, highlighting the dramatic progress the UAE has made in satellite technology. "The UAE has quietly developed itself as a hub for space and satellite innovation with three home-grown satellite operators, Dubai-sat, YahSat and Thuraya. Thuraya has been driving innovation in the satellite industry since our start. Last year we launched the Thuraya SatSleeve, the first and only satellite adapter for smartphones. The device has won innovation awards for being a game-changer. We are thankful to the UAE government for their commitment and support to the satellite industry." said Mr. Halawi. "In a very short period of time, Yahsat was able to cement its position as one of the leading satellite operators in the world and the number one operator in Africa, all thanks to a strong network of partners, suppliers and customers," said Masood. "Our satellites, Y1A and Y1B, are on the cutting edge of technology. Yahsat is often considered to be the reference in the Middle East region when it comes to servicing government satellite communications. Similarly, we are able to service enterprise and end-users through our satellites. It is this type of commitment to the global community, be it in the Middle East region or the United States, which drives Yahsat to lead in the future generations of satellite technology." Thuraya and Yahsat spearhead the satellite industry in the UAE, producing innovative progress in satellite technology. – Emirates News Agency, WAM