Space42 wins two categories at Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2025

Space42 was awarded in the Smart City - Transportation and AI- Satellite categories.

SpaceTech company Space42 was recognised for two breakthrough innovations at the prestigious Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2025: TXAI, the UAE’s first large-scale autonomous mobility platform, and Thuraya-4, a next-generation communications satellite.

TXAI is the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deploy large-scale autonomous taxis and Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles into public service. Since launching in 2021, it has expanded into a comprehensive smart transportation solution featuring autonomous Robotaxis, Robominibuses, ART vehicles, and supporting infrastructure.

Operating across Yas Island, Saadiyat, and the connecting highway, TXAI integrates through a sophisticated backend system that combines a Fleet Management System (FMS) and a Transportation Digital Twin. The FMS ensures safe and efficient operations with real-time tracking, dynamic rerouting, user analytics, and performance diagnostics. It also enables centralised control and emergency response.

The entire ecosystem is managed by Space42’s centralised Smart Mobility Operation Centre at Yas Depot, with services accessible via the TXAI Super App for route planning, ride booking, live tracking, and EV charging.

TXAI has logged over 450,000 km of autonomous driving without major safety incidents, establishing itself as the national model for ART governance. This achievement secured Space42 the Smart City - Transportation award.

Thuraya-4 marks a major leap in satellite communications, delivering intelligent, secure, and low-latency connectivity where terrestrial networks fall short. It is a software-defined, artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated platform designed to connect and empower edge-based decision-making across land, sea, and air. Built on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform, it combines powerful onboard processing with a fully software-defined architecture, enabling real-time beam steering, adaptive modulation, and dynamic carrier aggregation.

The satellite enables hybrid networks that blend seamlessly with terrestrial and cloud infrastructure. It shifts satellite communications from a backup solution to a front-line, always-on capability, supporting a new generation of mobile broadband products, IoT applications, and sovereign communications services.

Thuraya-4 directly advances the UAE’s Space Strategy 2030 and AI Strategy 2031 by strengthening sovereign infrastructure, creating high-skilled jobs, and cementing the country’s position as a global leader in secure satellite innovation.

“Thuraya-4 redefines the role of satellites in a connected world by extending coverage, enabling autonomy, resilience, and intelligence at the edge. It is smart, sovereign, and strategically aligned, bridging global gaps whilst advancing national priorities. Thuraya-4 is more than a satellite; it is a platform for transformation, built for the future,” the company said.

For this technological innovation, Thuraya-4 earned Space42 the AI - Satellite award.

Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2025 honours the remarkable achievements of both homegrown and international firms in shaping the Middle East’s evolving technological landscape, acknowledging their innovations, strategic growth, and contributions to economic and community development.

The Middle East Technology Excellence Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding contributions in pursuit of technological innovation, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].