New Arab satellite

The Arab telecommunication space establishment will launch a new satellite during the first quarter of the next year, Arab satellite A-3 which will add 20 new channels to KU broadcast services.

In press statements made on Thursday in Riyadh, chief of Arabsat's board, Muhammad al-Shahri, said the proposed life-span of the new satellite is 15 years. It covers the whole Arab region from the ocean to the Gulf.

Its channels can be received in dishes with diameters between 60-80'' in the Arab East and North Africa and several parts of Somalia, Senegal, Mali and Niger. The satellite will also cover parts of east, west and central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.

Al-Shahri continued that the decision for launching the new satellite at a cost of US $400 million was approved during the meeting of Arabsat. ( Arab satellite) Board in its 35th session recently held in Damascus. The French Euro-Special company will manufacture the said new satellite.