News

Abu Dhabi Merger Will Create A $4.1B Space Company

Bayanat, a geospatial data provider, and Al Yah Satellite Communications will become Space42, the MENA region’s first AI-powered space-tech company.

Published

3 years ago

December 21, 2023

Nour Nasir

abu dhabi merger will create a $4.1 billion space company

Yahsat

Two Abu Dhabi companies have agreed to merge in a landmark deal that will create “Space42,” one of the world’s most valuable listed space-tech companies.

Bayanat, a geospatial data provider, and Al Yah Satellite Communications — known as Yahsat — will have a market capitalization of $4.08 billion.

“This merger will unite two leading home-grown companies to create the Mena region’s first AI-powered space technology company,” explained Tareq Al Hosani, chairman of Bayanat.

“Together, we will leverage our key synergies to reinforce our position as a key engine of growth and strategic solutions provider to the UAE government and its agencies while expanding our reach to global customers,” he added.

The proposed merger will be realized through a share swap, with Bayanat remaining a legal entity. The shareholders of Bayanat and Yahsat will own 54% and 46%, respectively, of the newly created company.

“The merger is a compelling opportunity to amplify value creation for shareholders, utilizing synergies and strategic consolidation to create a technologically advanced champion […] The enlarged entity will benefit from accelerated growth potential as a player of scale with enhanced competitive advantage,” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, chairman of Yahsat.

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The space sector is currently enjoying a massive surge of interest as competition hots up with more companies entering the arena. According to figures from the Space Foundation, the space economy grew by 8% to nearly $550 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand by at least another 40% over the next five years.

The UAE, currently the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has the region’s largest space sector in terms of investment size. Last year, the Emirates launched an $820 million fund to support its latest space program and a new initiative to develop high-tech radar satellites.

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YouTube Rolls Out Supervised Children’s Accounts Across MENA

An industry-first feed timer lets parents cap Shorts scrolling. Access can also be switched off entirely ahead of exam season.

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Dana Saadeh

YouTube

YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, giving parents a way to hand their children the main YouTube app without handing over all of it. Announced in Dubai on July 2, the accounts are built directly into the platform rather than the standalone YouTube Kids app, and are aimed at families who feel a child has outgrown the curated library but isn’t ready for the open feed.

Parents can choose from three content settings, each broadly aligned with international content ratings. Explore covers educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance. Explore More adds gaming and live streams. Most of YouTube opens up almost everything except videos rated 18+ or deemed inappropriate for supervised accounts.

The standout tool is an industry-first Shorts feed timer, which lets parents set daily limits on short-form scrolling. Set it to zero and Shorts disappears altogether – a lever YouTube suggests parents might pull ahead of exam season. Other protections are on by default for all users under 18: “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, no personalized ad targeting, autoplay switched off, and no ability to upload videos or write comments. The accounts are optional, and parents can end supervision at any time.

The kid accounts join supervised teen accounts already available across the region, which notify parents by email when a teenager uploads a video or starts a live stream.

“YouTube has been a huge part of families’ lives across this region for over 20 years,” said Javid Aslanov, head of YouTube Middle East and North Africa, citing Kantar research showing 95% of viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree YouTube has top content in education and learning.

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“It’s essential that we protect young people in – not from – the digital world,” added Garth Graham, YouTube’s head of health.

The new settings are rolling out gradually across the MENA, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Iraq. The latest features can be set up through Family Center in the YouTube app or via Google Family Link.