Durri Space Signs for 3 Optical Ground Stations Across Oman

Oman's space plans now include a network of ground stations that use lasers instead of radio. On 15 October 2026 in Muscat, Omani space communications company Durri Space signed a contract with French laser communications maker Cailabs for three optical ground stations across the Sultanate, according to Cailabs' official announcement. The network is targeted to be operational in 2028. Durri Space will own it and plans to sell high-capacity satellite downlink services to international operators.

📌 Key Takeaways

• Durri Space, part of Enjaaz Group, has contracted Cailabs for three optical ground stations in Oman, with operations targeted for 2028, per Cailabs.
• The contract was signed under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ali bin Amer Al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT).
• The stations will use Cailabs' TILBA-OGS L10 system, which is built for high-capacity laser links with low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, as Via Satellite reported.
• Durri Space will own the network and plans to offer downlink capacity to international satellite operators.
• The contract value, station sites and financing have not been disclosed.

📝 What Was Signed, and By Whom

The parties are Durri Space, which Cailabs describes as an Omani space communications company set up to build national capability in optical satellite communications, and Cailabs, a French laser communications company. According to the Cailabs release, Durri Space's work covers optical ground infrastructure, space communications and Earth observation, and the company aims to make Oman a regional hub for high-capacity space-to-ground connectivity.

Cailabs will supply the technology, and Durri Space will own the resulting network. All three stations will share a common technical platform, so they work as one distributed network rather than three separate sites. The release ties the project to Oman Vision 2040 and to the Sultanate's national space ambitions. The two companies have also committed to developing Omani talent and local expertise in optical communications.

Al Fahdi also said Durri Space chose Cailabs because its technology "is already proven in operation", according to Via Satellite. Cailabs CEO Jean-François Morizur said in the company's statement that "optical communications are moving from demonstrations to operational infrastructure."

🔦 Why Lasers Instead of Radio?

Most satellite ground stations receive data over radio frequencies. Optical ground stations use laser links instead, which can carry much more data and do not depend on crowded, licensed radio spectrum. That matters more as LEO constellations for imaging, Earth observation and broadband produce more data than conventional downlinks can easily handle.

Cailabs says the TILBA-OGS L10 has been deployed internationally and used for two-way space-to-ground optical links. It includes the company's own technology for correcting atmospheric turbulence, plus automated operation, according to the release. It is also designed to work with satellite optical terminals built to CCSDS and US Space Development Agency standards, as Via Satellite noted. The aim is to make the Omani network usable by many different satellite fleets, not just one customer.

Spreading the three stations across the country follows a common approach in optical communications: laser links can be blocked by cloud cover, so stations in several locations make it more likely that at least one has a clear line of sight. SpaceTech in Gulf describes the plan as a distributed national network for high-capacity reception from LEO satellites.

🌍 Where This Fits in Oman's Space Build-Out

The deal adds a ground layer to a space sector that is growing quickly. MTCIT figures released last month showed the number of space companies rising from 11 in 2023 to 26 by the end of 2025, alongside a 270% rise in private investment, which we covered in our report on Oman's first draft space law. Durri Space is one of the companies turning those numbers into infrastructure contracts.

It also complements the Sultanate's satellite programme. In November 2025, Oman's national satellite operator Space Communication Technologies picked Airbus to build OmanSat-1, a reconfigurable high-throughput Ka-band satellite and Oman's first geostationary satellite, according to Airbus. OmanSat-1 will provide radio-frequency connectivity from geostationary orbit. Durri's network is aimed at a different job: receiving large volumes of data from low-orbit satellites by laser.

Demand for satellite connectivity on the ground is still small but rising. National statistics for the end of August 2026 recorded 2,084 satellite broadband subscriptions in Oman, up 152.6% year on year, as Times of Oman reported. That figure covers consumer and business broadband, not ground station traffic, but it shows how quickly space-based services are becoming part of Oman's connectivity mix.

⚠️ What Is Still Unknown

• Sites and value: Neither company has named the station locations or disclosed the contract value or how the project is funded.
• Customer demand: The business case depends on international LEO operators carrying compatible laser terminals and choosing to downlink in Oman. No anchor customers have been announced.
• Timeline risk: 2028 is a target. The announcements give no milestones for site selection, installation or testing.
• Talent: The commitment to build Omani expertise has not yet been tied to a number of trainees, a training programme or local jobs.

🇴🇲 Why this matters for Oman

This is a signed infrastructure contract with a named supplier, a defined scope and a target date, not a memorandum of understanding. If it is delivered, Oman would have a domestically owned network that can receive high-capacity satellite data. That would support national Earth observation and space ambitions, and it could earn export revenue by serving foreign operators from Omani soil. It also extends Oman's role as a connectivity crossroads from subsea cables into space-to-ground links, which fits Vision 2040's push for a diversified digital economy. The next things to watch are where the three stations will be built, which satellite operators sign up, and whether the promised optical communications skills turn into jobs for young Omani engineers.