The Public Investment Fund-owned space and satellite communications firm Neo Space Group has advanced the Kingdom's space economy by launching the first marketplace specifically for Earth observation in Saudi Arabia.
Launched to address the increasing need for high-resolution satellite imagery and space analytics across critical sectors, the Earth Observation platform is run by UP42, a Neo Space Group affiliate.
It integrates Earth Observation data into industries like mining, infrastructure, energy, real estate, urban planning, agriculture, and logistics in order to promote the Kingdom's economic development under Vision 2030.
Through a digital interface, the platform gives local businesses, government organizations, and users from other countries access to global data providers and AI-powered services for the acquisition and analysis of high-resolution photography and geographic data.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission's acting deputy governor for the space sector, Frank Salzgeber, described the launch as a significant step for the Kingdom's space economy.
The platform comes after Airbus's December 2024 acquisition of UP42 GmbH by Neo Space Group. The German business operates a cloud-native Earth observation platform that makes it easier to access and handle data from satellites.
With the help of consistent formats, automated workflows, and intuitive tools, the platform—which is accessible at sa.up42.com—allows users to search, retrieve, and process satellite data at scale. Hosted on secure local infrastructure, it conforms with Saudi legislation.
