Elon Musk rocket launches Saudi Arabsat satellite

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SpaceX attempted to land Falcon Heavy’s side boosters at Landing Zones 1 and 2 and Falcon Heavy’s center core on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship during the Arabsat-6A mission. (Twitter/@SpaceX)
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SpaceX attempted to land Falcon Heavy’s side boosters at Landing Zones 1 and 2 and Falcon Heavy’s center core on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship during the Arabsat-6A mission. (Supplied)
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SpaceX attempted to land Falcon Heavy’s side boosters at Landing Zones 1 and 2 and Falcon Heavy’s center core on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship during the Arabsat-6A mission. (Supplied)
Updated 12 April 2019
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Elon Musk rocket launches Saudi Arabsat satellite

  • Falcon Heavy launched the Arabsat-6A satellite from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida

LONDON: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched its Falcon Heavy rocket carrying a satellite for Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat.
The huge rocket was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Station in Florida for Arabsat.
Arabsat CEO Khaled bin Ahmed Balkheyour said it was “a momentous leap in the field of commercial satellites manufacturing and launching.”


Arabsat 6A Satellite is a high-capacity telecommunications satellite that will deliver television, radio, Internet, and mobile communications to customers in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Built by Lockheed Martin, it is the largest and most powerful commercial satellite the US defense giant has ever produced.

 


Balkheyour praised the work of young Arab engineers in Riyadh and Tunisia who worked on the project.
“Those young engineers who were fully involved in the design of these satellites and the supervision of the manufacturing stages, we owe them all thanks and praise ” he said.

 

 


Saudi Arabia’s NDF unveils strategic partners for MOMENTUM 2025 conference 

Updated 07 December 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s NDF unveils strategic partners for MOMENTUM 2025 conference 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund has unveiled the lineup of strategic partners for the Development Finance Conference MOMENTUM 2025, as the Kingdom accelerates efforts to build a more integrated development-finance ecosystem.  

The conference, scheduled for Dec. 9–11 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, will bring together policymakers, lenders and global development institutions as the Kingdom seeks to expand financing channels for key sectors. 

Saudi National Bank and Arab National Bank are named Main Partners, while Riyad Bank will serve as Banking Partner, NDF said in a press release.  

Bank AlJazira and Saudi Awwal Bank join as Enabling Partners, and public-sector participants include Invest Saudi, the Made in Saudi Program, and the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority. 

Riyadh Municipality also joins the list as the host city partner, while Saudi Post is the logistics partner for the conference. 

“Collectively, these partnerships advance the conference’s vision of fostering collaboration among public and private sectors, contributing to Saudi Vision 2030 objectives,” the release said. 

Organized by NDF, this year’s conference is convened under the theme “Leading Development Transformation.” 

MOMENTUM 2025 reflects the NDF’s central role as a principal enabler of development in the Kingdom and as a strategic driver of the national development finance system through its 12 affiliated development funds and banks.  

“Through this conference, NDF aims to align efforts, amplify impact, enhance coordination and integration, and build meaningful partnerships with leaders across the public and private sectors. Together, these efforts are intended to ensure sustainable growth and empower strategic sectors to deliver on national and global development goals,” the release added.  

The program will feature more than 100 speakers from over 120 local and international entities, further underscoring the conference’s role as a national forum supporting the leadership’s vision of building a dynamic financing ecosystem that empowers key sectors. 

Several princes, ministers, senior officials, CEOs, global leaders, development experts, and economists are scheduled to attend the conference. 

The event will spotlight the contribution of the private sector and small and medium-sized enterprises in elevating the Kingdom’s economic growth, generating jobs, and boosting competitiveness.