GeoEye's GeoEye-1 commercial ops in Saudi Arabia

08 December 2009, 7:42pm

DULLES, Va., Dec. 8 - GeoEye, Inc., a premier provider of satellite and aerial-based geospatial information and services, announced today its Regional Affiliate, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) began directly downlinking high-resolution satellite imagery from the GeoEye-1 Earth-imaging satellite. In addition to directly acquiring GeoEye-1 imagery, KACST will be able to provide other GeoEye-1 imagery and value-added products to its customers. KACST has the exclusive right to sell GeoEye-1 imagery in Saudi Arabia and the nonexclusive right to sell GeoEye-1 imagery outside of Saudi Arabia.

KACST is an independent scientific organization of the Saudi Arabian government located in Riyadh. It has been GeoEye's partner and Regional Affiliate for IKONOS satellite imagery collection and distribution since September 2002.

"GeoEye-1 satellite imagery will be an important component of KACST's effort to create new strategic partnerships and expand our strategic presence in the oil and gas, energy, mining, infrastructure and national, state and local government markets," said Dr. Abdulaziz Almadi, director, Space Research Institute for KACST. "The satellite's highly accurate, unprecedented resolution and color imagery will also be beneficial to our ongoing scientific research and operational applications."

"KACST has been an important IKONOS anchor tenant for GeoEye over the past eight years," said Mr. Matthew O'Connell, GeoEye's chief executive officer and president. "We share the same vision of excellence, which is one of the reasons our relationship has grown and will continue to prosper with this new commitment to market and distribute GeoEye-1 imagery."

About KACST

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) is an independent scientific organization of the Saudi Arabian government, established in 1977 under the name of Saudi Arabian National Center for Science and Technology (SANCST), and in 1985 renamed as King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. From its inception in 1977, KACST had been carrying out its mission in the promotion of science and technology in the Kingdom by coordinating and cooperating with various universities, agencies, and institutions concerned with research and technology, and encouraging Saudi experts to undertake research that will help promote the development and evolution of the society. KACST is governed by a Supreme Committee, which is chaired by the King and is composed of the ministers of the major ministries to which science and technology are of greatest relevance. For more information, please visit the link below.

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)

GeoEye, Inc.

Geo: International