The partnership stands out at a time of increasing focus on European launch sovereignty. According to the source, talk of European sovereignty is partly driven by a response to the deterioration of geopolitical ties to the United States, a shift that has opened the door for Middle Eastern space companies to offer capabilities from what the article describes as a geopolitically neutral position.
For Latitude, the choice was economic rather than strategic. Olivier Zarrouati, chair of Latitude’s strategic committee, said the company is not pursuing sovereignty. “Our target is not to make the most amazing launcher ever. It is just to launch 300 kg for less than $7M. Launching from a simple launch pad makes more sense than getting into a more complex facility,” he said. Zarrouati called Etlaq’s offering far superior to European-owned spaceports, citing its geographic location for reaching a variety of orbits, its distance from population centers, its proximity to the Arabian Sea, and its accessibility from Europe compared with pads in the Americas. Etlaq hosted its first launch in 2024.
Other European players have built ties in the region. Orbitworks, a joint venture formed in 2024 between US-based Loft Orbital and UAE-based Marlan Space, was built in part with European capital and know-how. In April, CNES signed an agreement to purchase Earth observation data from Orbitworks’ 10-satellite Altair constellation, the first satellite of which is expected to launch this year. “We are utilizing both American and European components in our constellation, and it enables us to acquire customers on both sides,” said Orbitworks and Marlan Space CEO Hamdullah Mohib. “I don’t think Europe on its own will be able to stand up all of its capabilities.”
UAE company Space42, formed from a 2024 merger between Bayanat and Yahsat, has expanded in Europe through several partnerships. In 2025, Space42 and Hidesat said they would explore collaborative satellite-based services, and Space42 announced a joint venture with US-based Viasat to build a 2,800-satellite satcom constellation capable of providing connectivity to Europe. In 2024, it established a joint venture with Finland-based ICEYE to build a synthetic aperture radar satellite manufacturing facility in the UAE. “Partnerships are essential to everything that we do. We are not in the game of reinventing the wheel,” said Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of smart solutions at Space42.
The article frames these ties as a structural shift rather than a one-off. Al Hosani said achieving Space42’s ambitions requires partnerships with clear mutual benefits. “We’re not trying to build for the short term. We’re trying to build for the long term,” he said. Mohib said Orbitworks views the gap in European capability as an opportunity to provide technologies that would otherwise take Europe a tremendous amount of time to build.
The debut Latitude launch from Etlaq is targeted for late 2027, and the first Altair satellite is expected to launch this year.
