Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: PIF’s Neo Space Group (NSG), the Saudi leading commercial space services provider, announced inking a deal with Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus) to acquire its UP42 business, a next-generation earth observation digital platform.

UP42 is expected to be part of NSG’s growing Geospatial division, building on the acquisition of Taqnia ETS, according to the company’s press release.

Launched by Airbus in 2019, UP42 is a pioneer in streamlining access to and deriving insights from geospatial data via a cloud-based platform.

UP42’s earth observation digital platform provides customers access to data and analytics from 80+ of the world’s leading geospatial companies, making it easy to source and manage diverse data from multiple providers through one seamless interface. Customers of UP42 can leverage the UP42 platform to solve real-world geospatial challenges and deliver value to their end customers across a range of market verticals, including agriculture, urban planning, real estate, infrastructure monitoring, disaster management, and more.

Martijn Blanken, NSG Chief Executive Officer, commented: "By integrating the UP42 platform into the KSA ecosystem, we are positioning NSG to deliver cutting-edge geospatial insights for one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This acquisition is pivotal in fulfilling our vision to lead innovation in the geospatial sector both locally, and globally, and further contribute to the growth of the space economy in Saudi Arabia, in full alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.”

The announcement further reinforces the strategic role NSG will play in providing Earth Observation (EO) services after The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) of Saudi Arabia announced in July this year that NSG had won the permit to provide the EO Platform Service in Saudi Arabia.

Sean Wiid, Chief Executive Officer of UP42, said: "Joining NSG is an exciting step for UP42. Our continued international business growth will support the ambition to make NSG a global leader in geospatial innovation. At the same time, we will play a key role in developing a robust Earth observation ecosystem within Saudi Arabia for the benefit of the Government, Agriculture, Energy, Travel, and Tourism sectors”.