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Es'hail 2 will be providing high density with zero disruption, which broadcasters normally look for, says Es'hailSat's Chairperson HE Hessa Sultan al Jaber. In an interview with The Business Year, Jaber talked about the company's new satellite capacities to support Qatari broadcasters and the country's IT sector at large, as well as regional expansion plans to contribute to economic diversification of Qatar.
What dimension can Es'hailSat give to the economic diversification of Qatar?
Es'hailSat was created in 2010 purely for strategic objectives. At that time, the government of Qatar thought of creating an independent satellite operator to serve Al Jazeera Media Network's needs, which was using the capacity of other regional players. Having our own operator means that our satellite operations would not be influenced by foreign political decisions and we could cater to the demands of the country's broadcasters. We bought an orbit slot and created a new satellite to compete for the MENA region with other players like Arabsat. We found a good partner in Eutelsat, a European satellite company, which helped us with the first satellite to enter into commercial service in 2013, Es'hail 1. During this time, we have built a satellite industry in Qatar and now have the vision to become a global satellite operator and services provider.

How is Es'hail 2 going to help you expand your reach?
Though Es'hail 2 will still cover the MENA region like Es'hail 1, Es'hail 2 comes with advanced technology to make sure that nothing can disrupt the service that is provided through the satellite. We will use Es'hail 1 for broadcast and military purposes, and Es'hail 2 will add new communication services. Nowadays, broadcasters are looking for high density with zero disruption, which is what Es'hail 2 will be providing. Their capacity will be utilised by any broadcaster interested in transmitting in the MENA region. We will expand our services in two ways. First, we will adapt our expansion plans to the needs of the Qatari telecommunications companies. For example, in 2016 beIN Sports acquired Digiturk and is interested in expanding in the Turkish market. Following this line, last February we signed an agreement with Total TR Medya to exclusively represent Es'hailSat and market our services in Turkey. Second, we will look at the markets where satellites are at the end of their lifespans and we will raise funds to launch a new satellite to cater to the needs of the operators. In this regard, we are looking at the Asian market in countries such as Indonesia. As we cannot build satellites all over the world, we will also enter into partnerships with existing satellite operators to cover other regions. We have a good relationship with Eutelsat and SAS, the world's largest satellite operators, and we can provide services to companies like Qatar Airways to provide entertainment on all their planes.

How could the potential of the IT sector in Qatar be unleashed?
Economic diversification is only viable through technology. As we diversify our economy we need to expand our market scope, and technology allows us to reach the entire MENA region. When I worked in the ICT sector, I realised the importance of creating small local companies instead of hiring the best system integrators in the world. Those sophisticated systems are expensive to maintain, so in 2008 we invested USD8 million in creating Malomatia, which started with around 10 employees. Now Malomatia has around 650 employees and it is going through an IPO with a high value. Rather than buying another company its growth was organic and of all its 650 employees are talented Qataris. This has impacted many economic sectors, such as health and education. Although it started as a small company, it is now targeting the region. This is where I see diversification happening. The government should only interfere in the market when there is a shortage, and the base for growth will come from having a competitive environment favoured by the right regulation. I have worked with a lot of start-ups all my life and this gives me energy for the future. They do not only need the funding but also the right support strategically and technically.
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24/01/2018
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