On November 19, 2025, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and Space42, the UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company, signed an agreement at the Dubai Airshow to co-develop and deploy the UAE’s first space-to-ground quantum communication network. According to the joint announcement, the network will integrate satellite and ground-based systems powered by sovereign Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology.
Under the agreement, TII and Space42 will co-develop, test, and validate quantum-secure communication links from space to ground. The framework covers R&D, payload development, satellite integration, and ground infrastructure operations, with plans for in-orbit demonstrations of QKD technologies.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, said the collaboration would combine TII’s research expertise with Space42’s satellite infrastructure to build the foundations of a national quantum communication network. Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Space Services at Space42, said the initiative was anchored in the company’s strategy to lead in non-terrestrial network solutions.