IHC to Acquire 80% Stake in Abu Dhabi Space Firm Marlan Holding

Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company will acquire an 80% stake in Marlan Holding RSC Ltd, the holding company behind Marlan Space, through its wholly owned subsidiary International Tech Group SP LLC.

Marlan Space operates as an investor and operator focused on space and related technologies. Its portfolio includes Orbitworks, the Abu Dhabi satellite company established with US-based Loft Orbital, and Altair, an AI-enabled Earth observation constellation.

Orbitworks operates a satellite assembly, integration and testing facility in KEZAD spanning around 50,000 square feet, including a 15,000-square-foot ISO-class cleanroom. The site can support spacecraft weighing up to 500 kilograms and is designed to scale to production of as many as 50 satellites annually.

Altair was unveiled in May 2025 as a 10-satellite constellation to be assembled and integrated in Abu Dhabi. The first satellite has already been completed, while additional spacecraft are being assembled in the UAE. In August 2026, Emirates SkyCargo transported Altair-1 from Dubai World Central to Los Angeles ahead of a planned October launch.

Orbitworks has also begun securing government and international customers. France’s space agency CNES booked dedicated Altair capacity under a multi-year agreement, while EDGE’s space-focused entity FADA contracted Orbitworks in May 2026 to support assembly, integration and testing for Sirb-1, the first phase of the UAE Space Agency-led synthetic aperture radar programme.

The acquisition comes as the UAE expands its domestic space manufacturing and commercial satellite capabilities. Around Dh44 billion has been invested in the sector, while the National Space Strategy 2031 targets doubling space-economy revenues, increasing economic value added by 60% and doubling the number of national space companies by 2031.