Rivada Space Networks has appointed Mustafa Afifi as sales director for the Middle East, strengthening its regional team to meet rising demand for secure satellite connectivity. Afifi will work with telcos, satellite operators, and resellers to help them gain access to the Munich-based company’s Outernet network.
Joe Apa, Rivada’s vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, welcomed the new appointment, pointing to Afifi’s extensive background in the telecommunications and information and communication technology sectors. The new sales director previously worked with Vodafone, Nokia and Ericsson across EMEA. “With more than $16 billion of business globally for its unique low Earth orbit network and a growing number of key regional partners, we are seeing a huge uptake in our business in the Middle East region, underlining the growing appetite for our uniquely secure space-based network,” Apa said.
Rivada said it designed the Outernet low Earth Orbit satellite constellation to deliver gigabit-speed and secure connectivity anywhere in the world without relying on the public internet. Using intersatellite laser links and onboard processing, the network forms a space-based optical mesh that keeps data in orbit from origin to destination. For the Middle East, Outernet enables providers to offer multi-gigabit services in enterprise networking, oil and gas, and shipping sectors.
Afifi’s appointment follows Rivada’s recent move to strengthen leadership across its operations. In March, Rivada Select Services, a subsidiary focused on serving U.S. government defense and civilian agencies, added three key board members to help advance Outernet.