The first Emirati to chair an international satellite operators’ body has said his priorities will be tackling the growing threat of space debris and ensuring global connectivity.
Ali Al Hashemi, chief executive of Space Services unit at Abu Dhabi’s Space42, was appointed last week as chairman of the Global Satellite Operators Association, the world’s largest satellite industry body.
The non-profit organisation was formed in 2002 and is led by chief executives who bring together satellite and other space-related companies from around the world to agree on the sector's best interests.
It then presents a “unified voice” to regulatory bodies and international organisations like the UN's International Telecommunications Union.
Mr Al Hashemi outlined his agenda for the two-year term, saying that space sustainability is on the top of his list.
“The biggest challenge in the industry today is space debris,” Mr Al Hashemi told The National. “We are trying to build a strong agreement that would help unify everyone’s views.”
A 2025 Space Environment report by the European Space Agency stated that the agency tracks about 54,000 pieces of debris larger than 10cm, and about 1.2 million fragments between one to 10cm.
How big is the problem?
The report said collision risks are likely to increase if more efforts are not made to mitigate the problem.
Collisions can break satellites into smaller fragments, creating even more debris.
In 2024, for example, the defunct Russian Resurs-P1 satellite broke apart in low-Earth orbit, creating more than 100 pieces of trackable debris.
There is still no globally binding law, only voluntary UN guidelines and charters that require satellite operators to deorbit spacecraft or remove debris.
The European Commission proposed an EU Space Act in July to make end-of-life disposal and other debris-mitigation measures mandatory, but the package still needs approval from the European Parliament and Council.
Mr Al Hashemi said another priority is ensuring countries have equal access to satellites and infrastructure that enables the internet.
“The question is how do we build a model where sovereignty of a country is respected and one where services are enhanced … that would be the winning formula,” he said.
Improving access to internet services is viewed as key to bridging a digital divide between high and low-income countries and driving international development.
About one-third of the world's population remains offline, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
Figures recently released by the ITU showed that 91 per cent of people in Europe have internet access, compared to only 38 per cent of people in Africa.
Space42 announced last week that it was working with US satellite giant Viasat to expand global satellite connectivity through satellite-to-device technology.
The new venture, called Equatys, will develop satellites and ground infrastructure that mobile operators can use to help their customers stay connected in areas without coverage, including in disaster zones, remote villages and out at sea.
Mr Al Hashemi said that even if the problem of lack of connectivity was solved, the next challenge would be regulations and if the public has access to devices that would help them connect.
“The obstacle will not be coverage any more. It will be adhering to countries’ regulations and sovereignty,” he said.
“The second obstacle will be the price of the device, not the price of the service.”
He said he believed that the UAE is leading regulation and policy efforts to enhance sustainability and close the digital divide.
“So, being a chairman of the GSOA is aligned with the values of the UAE and of Space42,” said Mr Al Hashemi.
Space42, which trades on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, was formed last year when UAE satellite company Yahsat merged with AI and mapping company Bayanat.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
PRISCILLA
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Sofia%20Coppola%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Cailee%20Spaeny%2C%20Jacob%20Elordi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A