Yahsat Completes Thuraya Acquisition and Appoints New CEO

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ABU DHABI, UAE, August 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• Yahsat takes control of Thuraya and appoints new CEO, Ali Al Hashemi, replacing Ahmed Al Shamsi, who will continue as a senior advisor  
• Further management appointments include Marcus Vilaςa as Chief Technical Officer and Shawkat Ahmed as Chief Commercial Officer 
• Acquisition catapults Yahsat into the mobile satellite services space, complementing its stronghold in fixed satellite solutions 

Today, Yahsat, a leading global satellite operator based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, completed the acquisition of a majority and controlling stake in the mobile satellite services operator Thuraya.

     (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/726660/Ali_Al_Hashemi.jpg )

Ali Al Hashemi, who has led Yahsat Government Solutions, Yahsat's specialised unit fulfilling defense and governmental client requirements, for the past few years is announced as the new CEO of Thuraya, while former CEO Ahmed Al Shamsi will remain as Advisor to the CEO. Ali Al Hashemi, will at the same time continue to be General Manager of Yahsat Government Solutions.

Commenting on the Thuraya acquisition, Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat stated: "The Thuraya acquisition provides us with an ideal opportunity to grow and diversify our business, bolstering our satellite solutions capabilities on both government and commercial fronts.

"By integrating the portfolios of the two companies under the leadership of Ali Al Hashemi, we will together be able to offer a comprehensive mobile and fixed satellite services portfolio, further strengthening our value proposition to our customers. We are excited about growing together and understanding how we can work in unison, share new ideas, and ultimately serve our customers better."

Yahsat has also named Marcus Vilaςa as Thuraya's Chief Technical Officer. Marcus will continue his role in Yahsat as the Chief Technical Officer in addition to his newly announced role in Thuraya. Marcus brings over 35 years of experience in the satellite industry, acquired from Embratel, SES, Inmarsat and Yahsat, importantly bringing invaluable experience from the mobile satellite services sector.

Shawkat Ahmed is appointed as Thuraya's Chief Commercial Officer succeeding Rashid Baba's tenure as Thuraya's Acting Chief Commercial Officer. Shawkat carries over 22 years of experience in satellite communications attained through occupying senior commercial leadership roles in Yahsat, Thuraya and Telstra V-Comm.

Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Thuraya stated: "I would like to thank Ahmed Al Shamsi for his exceptional leadership and contribution towards building Thuraya into a global mobile satellite services player throughout his tenure spanning more than two decades with Thuraya, Ahmed is a true veteran in the satellite industry, Thuraya will benefit from his expertise through his advisory role."

The acquisition of the UAE's first home grown satellite operator, Thuraya, is set to significantly expand Yahsat's current satellite solutions portfolio on both commercial and government fronts and creates a strong platform to capture the growing opportunity around IoT and M2M applications across both sectors.

Thuraya's two satellites, serving over 160 countries, will join the Yahsat fleet, expanding the group's satellite fleet to five. The combination of geostationary satellites operating in the C, Ka, Ku and L-bands will jointly cover Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia, providing a broad range of Fixed and Mobile Satellite Services spanning voice and data communications to both commercial and government sectors.

About Yahsat 

Yahsat is a leading global satellite operator, providing multipurpose satellite solutions for broadband, broadcast, government and communications use across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central and South West Asia. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to offer Ka-band services including YahClick, Yahsat Government Solutions, YahLink and Yahlive via its Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites. With the recent launch of Al Yah 3, Yahsat's commercial Ka-band coverage will be extended to an additional 20 markets, reaching 60% of Africa's population and over 95% of Brazil's population. For more information, visit http://www.yahsat.ae.

About Thuraya Telecommunications Company 

Thuraya Telecommunications Company is an industry leading MSS operator and a global telecommunication provider offering innovative communications solutions to a variety of sectors including energy, broadcast media, maritime, military and humanitarian NGO. Thuraya's superior network enables clear communications and uninterrupted coverage across two thirds of the globe by satellite and across the whole planet through its unique GSM roaming capabilities. The company's diverse range of technologically superior and highly reliable mobile satellite handsets and broadband devices provide ease of use, value, quality and efficiency. Thuraya remains committed to serving humanity through delivering the essential tools for optimal connectivity, never leaving anyone out of reach. Visit http://www.thuraya.com.

SOURCE Yahsat