NSG has rapidly expanded through strategic acquisitions and partnerships, including UP42, Display Interactive, Saudia, and Riyadh Air. How would you describe the company’s growth philosophy, and what does this momentum say about Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in space?
NSG Group CEO
NSG’s growth is driven by a disciplined, capability-led strategy, in addition to a focused approach to scaling its platforms and market presence.
As a global space services company, we are building an integrated portfolio across satellite communications, geospatial intelligence, and PNT to serve government and enterprise stakeholders across strategic sectors, including defense, aviation, and critical infrastructure.
Each acquisition and partnership — including UP42 and DI our aviation collaborations — is designed to strengthen sovereign capabilities, accelerate technology localization, and create long-term strategic value.
As part of PIF, NSG is positioned as a strategic company for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within its Vision Portfolio.
Our trajectory reflects a broader national ambition: positioning space as critical infrastructure that underpins connectivity, intelligence, resilience, and economic diversification under Vision 2030.
Eng. Haithem Alfaraj recently assumed the role of Group Chief Executive Officer, bringing deep experience from stc and Saudi Aramco. How does his appointment support NSG’s next phase of growth?
Eng. Haithem Alfaraj’s appointment marks a transition from foundation building to scaled execution and commercialization.
His focus is clear: accelerating sustainable growth across NSG’s core sectors — government, defense, aviation, maritime, and enterprise — where space-enabled services are becoming mission-critical. A key priority is the commercialization of sovereign space infrastructure and national assets, transforming foundational capabilities into scalable, revenue-generating platforms that support national resilience and long-term economic value.
At the same time, NSG is deepening national, regional, and global partnerships to strengthen its multi-orbit, multi-domain positioning, while expanding access to technology, capacity, and international markets.
This includes advancing convergence between space, telecommunications, and digital platforms — particularly in high-growth areas such as direct-to-device (D2D) and IoT, where global market dynamics are rapidly evolving.
NSG positions itself as more than a satellite company, spanning communications, geospatial intelligence, and PNT. What is the long-term vision behind building such an integrated portfolio?
The future of the space economy is multi-domain by design. At NSG, we are integrating satellite communications, Earth observation, geospatial intelligence, and PNT into a unified architecture that enables end-to-end, decision-driven solutions.
This means moving beyond standalone capabilities:
- Satellite communications delivers resilient, multi-orbit connectivity;
- Earth observation provides real-time visibility and data acquisition;
- Geospatial intelligence transforms data into actionable insights;
- PNT enables precision, synchronization, and operational coordination.
Together, these capabilities create an integrated system — from data acquisition to decision-making to action.
This multi-domain integration allows NSG to support complex, mission-critical environments where connectivity, intelligence, and positioning must operate seamlessly — particularly across defense, aviation, maritime, and national infrastructure.
NSG Skywaves® is gaining international traction through partnerships with airlines such as Saudia and Riyadh Air. What does it mean for Saudi Arabia to have a homegrown in-flight connectivity platform competing globally?
NSG Skywaves® represents a step-change in in-flight connectivity, positioning Saudi Arabia as a credible global player in one of the most competitive segments of the satellite communications market.
At its core, NSG Skywaves® is built on a multi-orbit architecture, combining GEO and MEO capabilities to deliver high throughput, low latency, and global coverage with built-in resilience, with a clear path to further integrate additional orbital layers over time.
This is enabled through a strong ecosystem of partners:
- SES Open Orbits™ providing the multi-orbit backbone;
- ThinKom delivering advanced Ka-band antenna technology;
- Eclipse Global Connectivity contributing deep aviation integration expertise.
Together, this creates a highly reliable, scalable, and airline-grade connectivity solution.
Our partnerships with airlines such as Saudia, Riyadh Air, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, Aegean Airlines, and Uzbekistan Airways reflect growing market confidence in NSG’s ability to deliver consistent, high-performance connectivity at scale.
Beyond passenger connectivity, NSG Skywaves® enables airlines to optimize operations, improve efficiency, and enhance digital services.
UP42, originally developed by Airbus, is now part of NSG’s ecosystem. How are you evolving the platform to support regional and national priorities?
UP42 is a key enabler for NSG’s geospatial strategy and has already been successfully launched in Saudi Arabia as NSG UP42 — the Kingdom’s first Earth observation marketplace platform. Our focus is twofold:
National (KSA):
- Establish a sovereign geospatial ecosystem;
- Enable government and enterprise access to trusted, high-quality data;
- Support strategic sectors including defense, urban development, energy, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
International:
- Expand global partnerships with leading Earth observation providers;
- Position NSG as a regional hub for geospatial intelligence and analytics;
- Provide scalable, cloud-based access to satellite data and AI-driven insights.
Support strategic sectors including defense, urban development, energy, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
Through NSG UP42, users can access multiple EO services such as optical, SAR, hyperspectral, thermal, and AI-powered analytics through a single interface — enabling faster, more informed decision-making.
The platform is not just about data access — it is about democratizing geospatial intelligence while ensuring sovereignty, security, and scalability.
In practical terms, how is NSG contributing to the development of Saudi Arabia’s domestic space industry under Vision 2030?
NSG is directly enabling Vision 2030 through real-world, high-impact use cases across multiple sectors:
- Satellite communications solutions for the defense and government sectors: Enabling ISR, secure communications, and operational coordination;
- Aviation & Connectivity: Delivering next-generation in-flight connectivity through NSG Skywaves®, powered by multi-orbit satellite communications, alongside high-performance broadband services for strategic customers;
- Geospatial Intelligence: Supporting urban planning, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental management through advanced Earth observation and analytics;
- Disaster Management: Enhancing preparedness, response, and recovery through real-time data, connectivity, and situational awareness;
- Beyond technology deployment, we are building national capabilities — developing local talent, enabling knowledge transfer, and creating sustainable value chains within the Kingdom.
How are NSG’s geospatial and Earth observation capabilities creating tangible impact across key sectors in Saudi Arabia?
Geospatial intelligence and Earth observation are now central to national decision-making and strategic planning.
At NSG, these capabilities support:
- Disaster Preparedness & Response: Early warning systems, damage assessment, and recovery planning;
- Government & Defense (ISR): Real-time situational awareness, border security, and mission planning;
- Urban Planning & Infrastructure: Smart city development, land use optimization, and infrastructure monitoring;
- Maritime Domain Awareness: Vessel tracking, trade route security, and environmental monitoring;
- Energy & Natural Resources: Asset monitoring, environmental compliance, and operational efficiency.
These capabilities are deeply integrated into government and enterprise strategies, enabling proactive decision-making, enhanced resilience, and operational intelligence at scale.
The satellite communications market is highly competitive. What differentiates NSG in this evolving global landscape?
NSG’s differentiation lies in its ability to operate as a full-stack, multi-domain space services provider. NSG integrates multi-orbit satellite communications, geospatial intelligence and Earth observation, and PNT capabilities into a unified solution, unlike traditional satellite operators.
This is reinforced by:
- Strong sovereign positioning aligned with national priorities;
- Long-term investment backing through PIF under the umbrella of Vision 2030;
- Strategic global partnerships;
- An ability to bridge space, telecommunications, and digital infrastructure.
This allows NSG to deliver integrated, scalable, and mission-critical solutions tailored to both national and international customers.
Looking ahead over the next decade, what does success look like for NSG and for Saudi Arabia’s role in the global space economy?
Over the next decade, NSG’s ambition is to position Saudi Arabia as a leading global hub for space-enabled services and advanced technologies.
This will be driven by:
Strengthening leadership across key sectors, including government, defense, aviation, maritime, and enterprise;
Expanding global partnerships and international market presence;
Scaling sovereign capabilities into globally competitive platforms ;
Being a key player for enabling future space technologies.
At the core of this vision is NSG’s multi-domain strategy, leveraging synergies between satellite communications, geospatial intelligence, and PNT to deliver integrated solutions at scale.
Success means not only participating in the global space economy, but shaping it — while enabling Saudi Arabia’s long-term strategic, economic, and technological ambitions under Vision 2030.
