Thuraya, a UAE-basedmobile satellite services operator, has picked up a substantial amount of business in Iraq in the aftermath of the conflict, said Chairman Mohammad Omran. Thuraya hopes to be profitable by the end of this year. The operator launched its second satellite – Thuraya-2 – in June this year. The Thuraya-2, designed to operate for 12 years, is a Boeing GEO-mobile model satellite built by Boeing Satellite Systems. The Thuraya-2 satellite was put into orbit by Sea Launch, which also deployed Thuraya-1 in 2000. The satellite, which has been initially placed at 28.5? East Longitude, is pivotal to Thuraya’s growth strategy as it aims to break open new markets, in particular, the Asia-Pacific market.

For an exclusive interview with Omran, see the Nov. 10 issue of SATELLITE NEWS. For info about subscribing to PBI Media’s newsletters, check out our Web site at https://www.satellitetoday.com