Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company, one of the most valuable conglomerates in the Middle East, is moving deeper into the space sector with a major new acquisition. The company announced this week that it is in the process of acquiring an 80 per cent stake in Marlan Holding, a UAE-based investment vehicle focused on space and space-adjacent technology, in a deal that will significantly expand IHC’s presence in deep tech and the emerging new space economy.
The acquisition will be carried out through IHC’s subsidiary, International Tech Group, and remains subject to regulatory approvals. Once completed, the deal will bring under IHC’s umbrella a business with a portfolio spanning space systems, autonomous operations and advanced computing technologies.
What Marlan brings to the table
Marlan Holding is the parent company behind Marlan Space, an investor and operator focused on building out space capabilities from the ground up. Its most prominent asset is Orbitworks, an Abu Dhabi-based private space infrastructure company that Marlan Space founded in partnership with US-based Loft Orbital. Orbitworks designs, builds, tests and operates satellite systems at its manufacturing plant in Kezad, with the capacity to produce commercial satellites at scale, covering everything from Earth observation platforms to communications hardware and specialised payloads.
The group’s other major initiative, Altair, is a multi-sensor, artificial intelligence-enabled Earth observation constellation built around multiple satellites. The programme combines optical, hyperspectral, thermal, infrared and passive radio-frequency payloads with onboard data processing, giving it the ability to gather and interpret complex environmental and geographic data from orbit.
A strategic bet on space infrastructure
Syed Basar Shueb, chief executive of IHC, framed the acquisition as part of a broader recognition that space is becoming an increasingly central pillar of global technology and infrastructure, with applications reaching into communications, Earth observation, data services and artificial intelligence. According to Mr Shueb, the deal gives IHC a strategic foothold in the new space economy while providing Marlan Space with access to the group’s capital base, operational capabilities and extensive network of value-generating partnerships to accelerate its next stage of growth.
The move comes amid a broader global boom in space investment, fuelled by falling launch costs, rising demand for satellite-enabled data services, and a growing push among nations to build sovereign space capabilities rather than relying entirely on foreign providers. For the UAE, which has invested heavily in space ambitions over the past decade, including missions to Mars and the Moon, the Marlan deal represents another step in positioning Abu Dhabi as a serious commercial hub for satellite manufacturing and space services.
Part of a bigger growth story
The acquisition adds to IHC’s already sprawling portfolio, which spans more than 1,300 subsidiaries across sectors ranging from real estate to agriculture to financial services. Direct units under the group include Alpha Dhabi Holding, EasyLease, Palms Sports, Emirates Stallion Group and Al Seer Marine, while its wider portfolio includes stakes in Aldar Properties, Al Ain Farms, PureHealth, marine services firm NMDC and produce company NRTC.
The Marlan deal comes shortly after IHC posted a striking 220 per cent surge in second-quarter profit, reaching Dh12.8 billion, or approximately $3.5 billion, driven largely by a sharp increase in revenue from its energy and mining operations. Quarterly revenue rose by more than a third year-on-year to Dh33.4 billion. Despite the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, Mr Shueb has previously indicated the company has no plans to change its investment strategy, and IHC is targeting up to $8 billion in new global investments over the coming six months across sectors including mining, energy and financial services.
Building on Abu Dhabi’s tech ambitions
Through the Marlan transaction, IHC said it intends to build on Abu Dhabi’s growing role in advanced technologies while supporting the development of commercially scalable space infrastructure with international reach. The deal also strengthens the group’s broader footprint in technology-led sectors, which already spans investments in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.
For a company known primarily for its reach across traditional sectors like real estate, agriculture and healthcare, the Marlan acquisition signals a clear intent to establish a meaningful presence in one of the more futuristic corners of the global economy, betting that satellites and orbital data services will become an increasingly valuable part of the technology landscape in the years ahead. Next Article
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