The Board of Directors of the Neo Space Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, headed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, issued a decision appointing global communications expert Martin Blanken, who has more than 25 years of experience, as CEO of the group. Launched by the Fund in May, Neo Space Group is a Saudi space company that unlocks the potential of the sector from the Kingdom to the world, focuses on strategic business opportunities, and offers a wide range of satellite communications services.

Martijn Blanken said: "I lead the Neo Space Group at a time when the space industry is undergoing rapid transformation with ample opportunities for evolution and change, making the timing of the group's launch ideal." By putting customer needs at the heart of everything the company does, leveraging existing assets in the sector, and investing in new capacity development, NEO will be able to become an effective and competitive brand in the global space economy and an influential national company in the ecosystem. 

Blanken has over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications and technology sector, having held various executive and advisory positions prior to joining the Group, most notably CEO of Exa Infrastructure, a digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America.

Prior to that, he was Senior Advisor at global infrastructure consulting firm Square Capital, Group General Manager and Chief Commercial Officer at Telstra, as well as a member of its Executive Committee. It is noteworthy that Neo Space Group seeks to provide space services from Saudi Arabia to the world via satellites from various orbits, and focuses mainly on strategic and commercial opportunities in the sector, and aims to invest in startups and develop promising entrepreneurs in the fields of space technology in the Kingdom and the world.

In line with Vision 2030, the Group supports national aspirations to grow the PIF's assets, localize technologies and transfer knowledge, and is strengthening its position as a global space advancer, providing opportunities for diversification, increasing employment and accelerating the transformation of the Kingdom's economy.