IHC Takes 80% of Marlan as UAE Space Investment Hits Dh44B

For investors, the Marlan deal is another signal that Abu Dhabi is deploying patient conglomerate capital into commercial space infrastructure. IHC is buying an 80% controlling stake through International Tech Group SP LLC, but the financial terms remain undisclosed. With Dh44 billion already invested in the UAE space sector and the National Space Strategy 2031 targeting a doubling of space-economy revenues, this is a strategic bet on asset-heavy, contract-backed aerospace manufacturing rather than a pure technology venture.

Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company (IHC) has said it will acquire an 80 percent controlling interest in Marlan Holding RSC Ltd, the holding company behind Marlan Space, through its wholly owned subsidiary International Tech Group SP LLC. The announcement, covered by GDN Online on September 8, 2026, and Cairo Scene on September 10, 2026, positions IHC directly in satellite infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, AI-enabled Earth observation and related deep-tech businesses. No purchase price or valuation was disclosed in the initial reports, leaving investors to assess the deal on strategic and operational merits rather than immediate financial metrics.

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Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company (IHC) has said it will acquire an 80 percent controlling interest in Marlan Holding RSC Ltd, the holding company behind Marlan Space, through its wholly owned subsidiary International Tech Group SP LLC.

At the center of the transaction is Marlan Space, an investor and operator focused on space and space-adjacent technologies. Its portfolio includes Orbitworks, a joint venture with US-based Loft Orbital that Marlan describes as the Middle East's first private space infrastructure company. Orbitworks operates a satellite assembly, integration and testing facility in the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD). The site spans approximately 50,000 square feet, including a 15,000-square-foot ISO-class cleanroom, can handle spacecraft weighing up to 500 kilograms and is designed to scale to production of as many as 50 satellites per year. That is tangible industrial capacity, not merely a financial holding.

Orbitworks' flagship programme is Altair, a 10-satellite Earth-observation constellation unveiled in May 2025. Altair combines optical, hyperspectral, thermal, infrared and passive radio-frequency sensors with artificial intelligence and onboard processing, reflecting a shift toward software-defined, data-rich smallsat architectures. The first Altair satellite has already been completed and was transported by Emirates SkyCargo from Dubai World Central to Los Angeles in August 2026 ahead of a planned October 2026 launch. Additional spacecraft are under assembly in the UAE, indicating that Orbitworks is already moving from prototype to serial production.

The customer base provides external validation. France's space agency CNES has booked dedicated Altair capacity under a multi-year agreement, while EDGE's space-focused entity FADA contracted Orbitworks in May 2026 to support assembly, integration and testing for Sirb-1, the first phase of the UAE Space Agency-led synthetic aperture radar programme. These contracts tie Marlan's manufacturing base to both Western space institutions and the UAE's sovereign defense and Earth-observation ambitions. For IHC, they reduce some of the early-stage revenue risk that often accompanies hard-tech investments.

The transaction is consistent with the UAE's broader space strategy. Around Dh44 billion has been invested in the sector, and the National Space Strategy 2031 targets doubling space-economy revenues, increasing economic value added by 60 percent and doubling the number of national space companies by 2031. IHC CEO Syed Basar Shueb framed the move around space becoming an increasingly important part of the global technology and infrastructure landscape, with applications across communications, Earth observation, data, AI and other sectors. Marlan Space CEO Hamdullah Mohib said the deal would allow the company to expand capabilities and partnerships and pursue opportunities in the global space economy.