The partnership – with NEOM Tech & Digital Holding Company – will see the deployment of OneWeb’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation aimed at businesses and rural communities in the region where high-speed Internet access was described as “previously unimaginable”.
NEOM is the site of a planned “smart city” in north-western Saudi Arabia, which will also be targeted at tourists. It is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
The new JV entity will have exclusive rights to distribute OneWeb services in the region for seven years from the initiation of the LEO satellite network, which is expected to commence in 2023. They expect to complete ground infrastructure in 2022.
The agreement also includes a long-term strategic partnership regarding research and development of future connectivity systems, said OneWeb, which is partially owned by the UK government..
“This joint venture brings together two emerging space and digital technology champions to deliver connectivity for the Middle East,” said UK Investment Minister Gerry Grimstone. “It demonstrates that the UK Government’s investment in OneWeb continues to be a catalyst for international collaboration, while securing jobs at home and driving investment into the UK space sector.”
“This ground-breaking joint venture shows the power of collaboration between nations, and with the private sector,” said Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Abdullah Alswaha. “By working together, we will bring digital connectivity to a region of more than a billion people, opening access to life-changing opportunities in education, healthcare and the job market. We are one step closer to ensuring that no child is left on the wrong side of the digital divide.”
According to OneWeb, the agreement builds on an existing relationship between the company and the Ministry Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA). Established in 2017, they are described as “focused on unlocking Saudi Arabia’s nascent orbital space technology sector for private investors”.
See also: OneWeb gets halfway to constellation completion