OMAN TRIP – Prof. Dr. Fuat İnce
A “Space” Trip to Oman
28 November 2025
Three weeks ago, I returned from a space event in the Sultanate of Oman, a country in the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula by the Indian Ocean, with an area of 310 000 km2 and a population of about 5 300 000. Its three land neighbors are Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
I was invited to a space workshop on November 9th there, as a speaker at a roundtable (panel), and to chair a session, also being asked to remain the following two days to consult on space issues.
A few years ago, Oman decided to create a national presence in space, a “space ecosystem” as they called it. In the summer of 2025, Oman launched a program called OSAP (Oman Space Accelerator Program) to give an impetus to the initiative. They made an agreement with a British consultancy company as their consultant in OSAP. The main task of the company was to guide startup and other companies established in the space domain by providing them with courses and trainings. My opinion on this deal is below.
On my first day there, the OSAP review workshop took place, attended by approximately 60 or 70 people. The workshop started with the opening speeches by the Head of the Oman Space Program and the representative of the British consultancy company. The office of the Oman Space Program is actually a group, working within the Ministry of Transportation, Communication and Information Technologies (MTCIT), which is soon expected to evolve into a higher organization as the Oman Space Agency, within the ministry. As far as I understand, the British company also provides consultancy on space issues in other countries in the World. In her speech, the company representative evaluated eight countries endeavoring in space in various stages of development, from fully space faring to those still in a phase of expressing their intentions. She evaluated the countries briefly according to five criteria and invited us to express our opinion at the round table to suggest a place for Oman among them.
Countries: USA, Australia, El Salvador, India, UK, Kenya, Maldives, Saudi Arabia.
Criteria: Political Support; Education and Research; Innovation and R&D; Funding; and Legal Framework
After the opinions were expressed at the round table, the workshop was divided into four parallel groups:
(1) Earth Observation, Geospatial Intelligence, satellite imagery, environmental monitoring, resource mapping
(2) Space Manufacturing and Hardware, 3D printing, component manufacturing, rocket fuel, cubesats
(3) Satellite Communication, Applications and Solutions, Smart Sensors, IoT integration, Satellite Data Services, Software Applications
(4) Astronomy and Astronomy Tourism.
I chaired the first group which was the largest with about 20-25 people from a number of companies and ministries. The speakers first started complaining about problems they were facing in data availability, data exchange and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) standards. They expressed their wish for the government to put forward regulations for smooth functioning on these issues. When I turned the subject to technology issues, ie. data processing, hyperspectral and SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar). I learned that a company had already bought a hyperspectral sensor from the Netherlands and is collecting geological data from the air using a drone. Another company had negotiated with a South Korean company for a hyperspectral satellite system, and had received a concrete offer (which I saw) which is being evaluated. Some groups have also bought and are using remote sensing and GIS software packages available in the market. Upon talks with those users, I felt an urge to advise them to avoid blind fold applications, but to understand the mathematical logic and formulation behind the software and to understand the data properties in order to draw more meaningful and reliable interpretations.
After the meetings of the four parallel groups, which lasted for about 2.5 hours, the plenary session convened again. The discussions and conclusions in each group were told and explained to the plenary group.
The next day, I went to visit the Head of the Space Agency Program at his invitation. The Program is expected to become the Oman Space Agency when the draft bill, now pending in the National Assembly, is soon expected to pass into law. Following the conversation about the workshop of the previous day, our talk shifted to other topics. One of them was the space port that Etlaq, which is an Omani company, was establishing on the Omani coast. When I questioned the rationale for the spaceport in terms of being a profitable business, the Head of the Space Program defended the initiative in that the spaceport was a partnership of both Omani and foreign investors; that the foreign partners have close ties in the world on space launch business which will bring projects to Oman; that Oman’s geographical location is very suitable for launch; that Oman has good relations with all the countries in the world, especially with its neighbors; and that it has a reliable and stable regime. Afterwards, he expressed the view that, it is doubtful that the space port which Turkey wants to establish in Somalia will receive any demand or favorable consideration for a launch from the world, due to the risky security situation and an unreliable political environment there.
On a separate topic, I suggested an idea to the Program Head that they could develop their own augmented GNSS system for the country which is within their technical capability. He said he hadn’t thought about it before, but he would consider it.
Another subject discussed there and with other relevant people later, was about orbits of Omani satellites. Assuming that Oman’s region of interest in World geography does not cover northern or even mid latitude countries, it would be a waste of satellite time to launch them to Sun Synchronous (SSO) or high inclination orbits. Low inclination orbits would yield shorter revisit times, hence increased efficiency of satellite use. On the other hand, launch to SSO or high inclination orbits has a much reduced cost due to rideshare opportunities. We agreed that there is a tradeoff between a low cost – low efficiency (high inclination launch, and a dedicated high cost – high efficiency launch (low inclination), which should be considered on a case by case basis.
Apart from my meeting with the Head of the Space Program, I spent the rest of my two days at the company managing OSAP, with some of their employees and those of one or two other companies as well as the relevant people from the MTCIT. I may have talked with probably 10-12 people. They asked questions, requested information and my opinion and advice on about almost every subject related to space, including remote sensing, rockets, navigation satellites, spectroscopy, SAR etc. Before leaving, the CEO of the company also met with me, said that they benefited a lot from me and he thanked me.
I witnessed a very willing and enthusiastic attitude to space in every person and organization I met there. It was clear that they strive to learn and apply their knowledge promptly in their jobs.
For the office of the Oman Space Program to hold such a workshop with open participation to every stakeholder and to enable the exchange of views with them, was a very noteworthy and praiseworthy event, which in Turkey would be much desired and appreciated, but is hard to come by.
I had a unexpected observation about the British consultancy company that I consider quite wanting on their part. As far as I could tell, the guidance and training provided by the company to newly established startups cover topics such as management, organization, external relations, marketing and finance, but not technological issues. I think the startups seriously need training on remote sensing and GIS. It was surprising to see that, it was as if I was the first person to mention this, what I consider a deficiency.
Oman’s development strategy in space technologies starts from the bottom. In other words, it is desired to create a widespread “space ecosystem” by training and supporting small companies and small groups in ministries, encouraging young people with ideas to establish startup companies in the field of space. This policy does not necessarily envisage the development of one or two big companies, but would not oppose it either. Small projects with feet on the ground and direct benefits to the country, are tools to carry out that policy, also keeping in view the world wide technical developments and foreign contacts.
I wish success to the “Space Ecosystem” that is being developed in Oman.
Contact: koc@hedefkoc.com
