The partnership
ST Engineering iDirect has formed a strategic partnership with Mohammed Al Barwani Satellite Company, known as MBSat, to provide the ground system technology behind the operator's next-generation satellite gateway and network operations in Oman and the wider Middle East, the company said. MBSat is part of Mohammed Al Barwani Group.
The ground segment
iDirect's Intuition platform is to supply a software-defined foundation for sovereign connectivity services, which the company said would allow faster service deployment, dynamic resource management and network operations that scale as demand grows. The turnkey package includes Ka-band gateway infrastructure, service provisioning and management capabilities, open API integration frameworks, training and full-lifecycle support.
Satellite and timing
The network is to use capacity from MB Sat-1, which the announcement described as a sovereign MicroGEO satellite, with a planned service launch in 2027. The release said the partnership reflected growing investment in sovereign communications infrastructure across the Middle East, as operators seek more control over service delivery, network expansion and long-term technology evolution.
What the executives said
Ammar Al Rawahi, general manager of MBSat, described the partnership as an important milestone in building an advanced satellite communications platform in Oman and the region, saying the technical infrastructure would let the business launch services efficiently and expand into new markets. Sridhar Kuppanna, chief executive of ST Engineering iDirect, said the software-defined ground platform integrates with MBSat's existing operational environment, giving it room to scale and add capabilities as requirements change.
