The proposed transaction is being carried out through IHC’s wholly owned subsidiary International Tech Group SP LLC and remains subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, the company said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Marlan Holding RSC Ltd is the holding company behind Marlan Space, an Abu Dhabi-based investor-operator focused on space and space-related businesses and technologies. Its portfolio spans space systems, autonomous operations and advanced computing, placing the planned acquisition within IHC’s wider push into deep technology and the expanding commercial space economy.
IHC said the deal would provide a platform for investment and growth across satellite infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and emerging space technologies. The group also expects potential collaboration between Marlan Space and other businesses across its portfolio in areas such as technology, data and infrastructure where satellite capabilities can support commercial applications.
“This acquisition gives IHC a strategic position in the new space economy and provides Marlan Space with access to the Group’s capital, capabilities and Dynamic Value Networks to accelerate its next phase of growth,” IHC chief executive Syed Basar Shueb said in the company’s announcement.
He said space was becoming an increasingly important part of the global technology and infrastructure landscape, with applications extending across communications, Earth observation, data and artificial intelligence.
A central asset within Marlan Space is Orbitworks, an Abu Dhabi-based private space infrastructure company established as a joint venture with US-based Loft Orbital. Orbitworks was formed to manufacture commercial satellites at scale and operates from a purpose-built facility in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi.
The facility is designed to support the production of Earth observation, communications and other spacecraft, together with specialised payloads, giving Marlan Space an operating presence in satellite manufacturing as well as investment exposure to the sector.
Marlan Space’s flagship Altair programme is an artificial intelligence-enabled Earth observation constellation combining optical, hyperspectral, thermal, infrared and passive radio-frequency payloads with onboard processing. IHC said the first satellite has been completed and further satellites are being assembled in Abu Dhabi. The system is intended to bring together multiple sensors and computing capability in orbit, allowing data to be processed closer to where it is collected and supporting faster delivery of information to users across commercial and public-sector applications.
The acquisition announcement was followed a day later by plans involving Marlan Space, Loft Orbital, French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI and other partners to develop what the companies described as a large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure in space. IHC said that programme would involve investment of up to $1 billion and would use a planned satellite constellation to run artificial intelligence models in orbit.
The project, known as Altair-Next Gen, is intended to combine satellite infrastructure with onboard computing so data can be analysed in space rather than relying entirely on transmission to ground stations before processing. Initial applications identified by the companies include maritime awareness, wildfire detection, disaster response and protection of ports and critical infrastructure.
Orbitworks is expected to manufacture satellites for the programme at its Abu Dhabi facility. The planned constellation is designed to scale from 10 satellites to 50, according to the companies, with the larger deployment intended to provide more continuous observation and faster alerts.
Marlan Space chief executive Hamdullah Mohib said the company’s strategy was based on moving more intelligence into orbit and building that capability from the UAE. He also serves as chief executive of Orbitworks.
For IHC, the proposed majority purchase would add another technology-focused platform to a portfolio that spans more than 1,300 subsidiaries and investments across sectors including financial services, energy, property, healthcare and technology.
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