Neo Space Group Appoints Eng. Haithem Mohammed Mojil Alfaraj as Chief Executive Officer to Lead Next Phase of Growth

The Board of Directors of Neo Space Group (NSG), a PIF company and Saudi Arabia’s leading commercial space services provider, today announced the appointment of Eng. Haithem Mohammed Mojil Alfaraj as Chief Executive Officer of NSG. He will assume his responsibilities on April 9, 2026, succeeding Martijn Blanken, who has led the company since its inception.

This planned leadership transition reflects NSG’s evolution into its next phase of accelerated growth, building on the strong foundation established during its launch and scale-up period.

Haithem M. Alfaraj brings more than two decades of leadership experience across telecommunications and technology.  He most recently served as Group Chief Technology Officer at stc, where he led major technology transformation initiatives including network modernization, digital platform development, cloud adoption, and cybersecurity capabilities, helping position stc as a leading digital technology group.

Earlier in his career, Alfaraj held senior technology leadership roles at Mobily and began his professional journey at Saudi Aramco, developing deep expertise in large-scale technology operations and engineering. He also contributes to global industry development as a member of the GSMA Technology Group Board and serves on the Board of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), a partnership between KACST and the World Economic Forum.

NSG was launched by PIF in May 2024 to establish a national space champion and accelerate the development of Saudi Arabia’s space economy. In less than two years, the company has built a fully operational multi-domain platform through the strategic acquisitions of Taqnia ETS, UP42, and Display Interactive, and the establishment of capabilities across Geospatial & Earth Observation (EO), Satellite Communications, and In-Flight Connectivity.

NSG secured Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) approval for its EO platform services and launched the Kingdom’s first Earth Observation marketplace powered by UP42. The company has also deployed in-flight connectivity services with leading airlines — including Riyadh Air, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, AEGEAN Airlines, and Uzbekistan Airways — strengthening its commercial footprint regionally and internationally.

As it enters its next phase, NSG will focus on advancing commercialization of sovereign space infrastructure, including SGS-1, while deepening its role across government and commercial sectors in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.