Page 61 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

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Best Emiratisation Supporting Entity, recognizes Emirati companies on multiple built the UAE’s first nano satellite with
Emiratisation Pioneer, Best New Emirati fronts, including their work in innovation remote sensing capabilities – MYSAT-1 -
Employee and Best Emirati in a Supervisor and community development, employment at Yahsat Space Lab on Khalifa University
Role. “My best wishes to the two and talent development, leadership and premises. After the successful closure of
individual winners, and to Yahsat on this strategy as well as engagement and work the project, he wanted to have a broader
memorable achievement,” said Yahsat’s environment. Yahsat’s Chief Human Capital understanding of the space industry,
Chief Executive Officer, Masood M. Sharif Officer, Muna Al Muhairi said, “We are which led him to take up his current role
Mahmood. He further emphasized the honored and humbled by the recognition. at Yahsat as a Field Operations Engineer.
significance of the company’s successful I warmly congratulate our winners and the With a distinguished record in the space
Emiratisation program: “As Emiratis set entire Yahsat family that have made these industry, Adnan Al Muhairi has worked at
multiple milestones in the global space awards possible through their commitment Yahsat for 10 years. He was involved in
industry, we are very happy to note and hard work. We are inspired by our the UAE’s first successful remote sensing
Yahsat’s contributions to the growth of youth, and we aim to make Yahsat a place spacecraft program. Later, he worked on
indigenous talent. The company provides where our children dream of working and the UAE’s first communication satellites,
an excellent platform to Emirati students a company that our young generations are Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2, before being
looking to build a career in the space and proud of.” The Best New Emirati Employee appointed as the Program Director of the
satellite sector. We support them in their award winner, Abdullah Essa Ahmed Sharif Al Yah 3 space communications system
chosen fields through rigorous training graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from - a highly advanced space network that
and career development programs. At the American University of Sharjah, with expanded Yahsat’s services further into
every level, Yahsat facilitates higher a Minor in Engineering Management. In Africa and also into Brazil. As Deputy
education, research and unique on the job 2018, he obtained an MSc in Engineering CTO of Yahsat, Adnan oversees the
training. As a result, we have become the Systems and Management from Khalifa design and development of cutting-edge
employer of choice for Emirati space and University, with a specialization in space communication solutions for Yahsat’s
satellite engineers.” Yahsat won the award systems and technology. Abdullah was customers across the world.
for the Best Company of the Year that part of the team that conceptualized and

Yahsat Joint Venture Boosts EchoStar Subscriber Count

Satellite broadband and hardware provider is building for a 2021 launch. After selling Wi-Fi service “Express Wi-Fi” has been
EchoStar added 20,000 HughesNet internet nine on-orbit broadcast satellites to Dish deployed in 800 locations and is expanding
subscribers through its Brazilian joint Network Corp. last year for $800 million, rapidly in partnership with Facebook,
venture with Yahsat, boosting subscriber EchoStar is now focused almost exclusively Kaul said. Hughes provides services in
numbers as EchoStar’s satellite capacity on broadband. EchoStar’s Hughes Network seven countries across Central and South
becomes limited. Germantown, Maryland- Services division generated $1.85 billion America, and counts 237,000 international
based EchoStar had 1.477 million of the company’s $1.89 billion in 2019 subscribers, he said. Yahsat and Hughes
subscribers at the end of 2019, up 116,000 revenue. Hughes President Pradman Kaul are still combining their operations, a
from the year prior partly due to capacity said the company’s satellites covering process Kaul said includes installing
made available in November on Yahsat’s North America have “relatively full beams,” a Hughes Jupiter gateway pointed at
Al Yah 3 satellite. During an earnings call limiting the capacity available for new Yahsat’s Al Yah 3 satellite, migrating more
Feb. 20, EchoStar executives said they subscribers. Hughes is focused on adding Yahsat customers onto HughesNet, and
continue to evaluate ways to add capacity higher paying subscribers in those beams integrating Yahsat’s distribution network
while awaiting the launch of Jupiter-3, a while seeking to limit customer churn, Kaul across Brazil.
half-terabit satellite Maxar Technologies said. In Latin America, Hughes’ community

61 FEBRUARY 2020