SARsatX Co-Founder and Chief of Business, Muhannad Almutiry, sits down with Balerion General Partner, Phil Scully, to discuss the First SAR Constellation in the Middle East.
00:00–00:11 — Opening & Introductions
Phil welcomes attendees and invites Muhannad to share his background and context on the growing space and defense-tech ecosystem in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA).
00:11–01:02 — Founder Background & Academic Origins
Muhannad introduces himself: electrical engineer, PhD from University of Dayton focused on advanced SAR algorithms (including 3D tomographic SAR). SARSat-X began as a university spinoff from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
01:02–02:34 — Deep-Tech Startup Formation in MENA
Discussion around how deep-tech startups in the region emerge from universities, with government incentives pushing major companies to invest in new space technologies.
02:34–03:39 — Why SAR? Solving the Revisit Problem
Optical revisit rates over the region were too low due to orbit geometry. SAR provides day/night, all-weather coverage, making it far more suitable for the Kingdom’s needs.
03:39–05:33 — Educating the Market & Filling Knowledge Gaps
Most civilian end users in Saudi Arabia are unfamiliar with SAR’s advantages. Part of SARSat-X’s early work involves “demystifying” SAR data for local industries.
05:33–07:08 — Dual-Use Technology: Civilian vs Defense
SAR’s origins are military. Initially, SARSat-X targeted civilian applications to avoid regulatory barriers—but long-term, dual-use applications and sovereign constellations will be central.
07:08–09:13 — Advantages of a Saudi-Based EO Company
Geography enables unique revisit benefits across the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical neutrality (“the Switzerland of the Middle East”) allows SARSat-X to serve a wide global customer base.
09:13–10:31 — Talent Attraction Advantage
Saudi Arabia can grant permanent residency to highly skilled engineers within three months—allowing SARSat-X to attract international deep-tech talent rapidly.
10:31–11:33 — First Customers: Aramco & NEOM
Aramco is both SARSat-X’s first investor and first customer.
Current work includes oil-spill detection, methane/CO₂ monitoring, and rapid-response environmental assessments. NEOM is also an early customer.
11:33–12:36 — Launch Timeline & Mission Planning
A government grant has been secured for their first mission.
Once finalized:
• ~12 months to first satellite in orbit
• Launch likely via SpaceX or Rocket Lab
• First satellite within 16–18 months
12:36–13:20 — Constellation Architecture
Initial plan: 16 satellites — 8 optical + 8 SAR — operating in tandem for rapid revisit and cross-modal fusion.
13:20–15:00 — Differentiation: Separate Platforms + Edge Processing
Competitors combine optical + SAR into one spacecraft.
SARSat-X will:
• Separate payloads into different satellites
• Fly them in tandem
• Use on-board processing + cloud analytics
• Provide information, not just images
15:00–16:26 — Full-Stack Strategy (Upstream + Downstream)
Unlike many EO companies, SARSat-X must operate across the stack in the region:
• Upstream: designing/launching satellites
• Downstream: providing analytics & interpretation to first-time users
16:26–17:20 — Use Cases: Oil Spill, Agriculture, Environmental Monitoring
Early mission design reflects direct customer needs, especially rapid detection and classification of oil spills.
17:20–18:18 — Why Aramco Invested
Aramco is transitioning from oil to energy.
They want emerging technologies—including space—to support environmental and emissions-monitoring initiatives.
18:18–19:20 — The Role of Emerging Deep-Tech in Saudi Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia is pushing aggressively into deep tech (remote sensing, geothermal data-center cooling, 5G/6G). These advancements support a broader national space strategy.
19:20–20:10 — Collaboration & Saudi Talent Pipeline
Universities and government programs produce strong engineering talent. Passion often compensates for limited experience in a nascent industry.
20:10–21:15 — Engineering Trade-offs: Resolution vs Revisit vs Cost
SARSat-X shapes its future satellites based on user needs:
• Environmental use cases don’t need 30 cm resolution
• Some need rapid revisit instead
• Mission architecture is tuned to application, not specs
21:15–22:20 — Government Support & Global Competitions
Saudi Space Agency + CST run global competitions (e.g., SpaceUp) offering grants and local-market access for EO companies. SARSat-X is leveraging both grants and venture capital.
22:20–23:00 — Long-Term Moat: Hardware as the Foundation
In the long run, owning the hardware is the core competitive advantage; pure downstream SaaS is not defensible in their region.
23:00–23:55 — Partnerships with Primes & Global EO Companies
Currently buying and streaming data from major EO companies.
Long-term: open to localization and co-manufacturing partnerships as the Saudi ecosystem matures.
23:55–24:48 — What Sovereignty Means in Space
Starts with satellite ownership, expands to securing the entire supply chain.
24:48–26:00 — SARSat-X’s Role in Vision 2030
SARSat-X exists because Vision 2030 enabled:
• Funding
• Regulation
• National technology priorities
2030 goal: serve not only Saudi Arabia but the entire Middle East & Africa.
26:00–27:20 — North Africa as a Major Market Opportunity
Fast-growing GDP, historical ties through Arabsat, and widespread first-time usage of EO data create a major untapped market for SAR.
27:20–28:15 — Three-Year Plan
Launch:
• First optical satellite
• First SAR satellite
Goal: 3–4 satellites in orbit within three years.
28:15–29:30 — Founder’s Passion for Space
Inspired both by academic SAR research and by childhood experiences with astronomy—his grandfather used stars for farming cycles, passing along a cultural connection to the night sky.
29:30–End — Closing Remarks
Phil reflects on the significance of SARSat-X’s work and the partnership potential with Saudi Arabia. Mutual thanks and closing of the session.
