Muscat – Etlaq Spaceport, the first commercial spaceport in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced plans for five rocket launches in 2025, marking an important milestone for the space industry in Oman and the region.

The launches will be held at its spaceport in Duqm, which is under development, with a viewing area soon opening to allow the public to witness the exciting landmark missions free of charge.

At a press conference on Thursday, Julanda al Riyami, Chief Commercial Officer of Etlaq, revealed the ambitious plans for 2025. He announced the spaceport’s collaborations with international partners in the UK, New Zealand and Kuwait.

“We are thrilled to announce five launches in 2025, starting with the UNITY-1 mission in April, powered by Advanced Propulsion Technologies from the UK,” Riyami said. “These launches will showcase our growing partnerships and the technical expertise of Etlaq and our collaborators.”

It will be followed by the launch of Duqm-2 in June, which will be facilitated by New Zealand-based Stellar Kinetics in partnership with Etlaq’s parent company, NASCOM.

Riyami informed that the Duqm-2 rocket will use a different launch vehicle.

A more complex launch, utilising different parameters and operational procedures, is planned for Duqm-3 in October.

The fourth rocket scheduled for launch in November is Kuwait Space Rocket’s Ambition-3, highlighting the significance of regional collaboration in the sector.

The fifth launch is expected to take place in December.

At the heart of Etlaq’s mission is the Genesis Programme, a pioneering initiative launched in 2024 to establish Oman’s ‘national space launch heritage’. Inspired by Oman’s history of seafaring excellence, the programme is the natural next step in transitioning the nation into a spacefaring future.

H H Sayyid Azzan bin Qais al Said, founder and CEO of Etlaq, said, “The Genesis Programme was launched as a proof of concept. At this stage, the programme is laying the foundation of what we call a national space launch heritage. We believe that having such a heritage is a fundamental prerequisite for commercial spaceport operations, which we plan to begin in 2027.”

He added, “The programme is designed to break down the essential elements of planning and conducting rocket launches. From now until 2027, our goal is to host as many launches as possible within safety and feasibility limits using multiple launch companies operating suborbital and experimental launch vehicles.”

The press conference also marked the signing of several agreements by Etlaq, including a partnership with Spain’s PLD Space. The agreement will facilitate the launch of its MIURA 5 vehicle from Oman, signalling a major leap in cooperation between Europe and Oman.

Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Etlaq and SatMINA to collaborate on satellite ground station services and support operations for upcoming launches.

The conference also saw the unveiling of a new brand identity for Etlaq Spaceport.

Additionally, Oman Society for Astronomy and Space  too introduced a new logo reflecting the sultanate’s growing commitment to the space sector.