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The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority confirmed regulatory approval for Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite internet service, establishing its lawful operation across the UAE and positioning the country among the most recent in the region to authorise such connectivity, according to a report published by The National on March 23, 2026. The decision sets defined operational boundaries that maintain the existing ban on the service’s in-motion on land feature, which national telecommunications rules continue to prohibit. This framework allows Starlink to function within approved parameters while deferring broader mobility expansions.
The TDRA’s published licence agreement with Starlink, first issued in 2024 for maritime satellite internet services and later updated to cover aero applications, forms the basis for the current approval, regulatory documents show. That initial 10-year licence restricts services to maritime use until further amendments are issued in writing by the authority. The latest confirmation extends availability while preserving those core limitations on land-based mobility.
Industry reports place the UAE alongside Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait as regional adopters of Starlink, with the service having gone live in Kuwait earlier in March 2026. Such authorisations reflect a pattern of Gulf states integrating low-Earth orbit technology into their telecommunications landscapes over the past two years. Maritime and aviation sectors have seen initial deployments under these approvals, according to sector assessments.
Stakeholders within the sector urged the TDRA to expand the authorisation framework so that UAE-based resellers can support enterprise, maritime, energy and government clients through compliant procurement models, The National reported. One industry figure, Grewal, encouraged the regulator to clear the path for locally supported delivery models that meet full procurement and integration standards. These calls highlight the licensing decision’s implications for market access and operational scaling.
A P&S Intelligence assessment projected the regional satellite-internet market to expand from $450 million in 2025 to $1.057 billion by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of roughly 13 percent driven by demand in remote and specialised applications. The UAE’s approval arrives after a public consultation launched by the TDRA in July 2025 on regularising satellite reseller services, including potential Category B licences for low-Earth orbit solutions. That process aimed to formalise distribution beyond entities already holding core telecom licences.
The TDRA’s licence agreement requires Starlink to comply with all directions on public interest, safety and national security matters, while mandating data maintenance in line with the prevailing regulatory framework. Such provisions remain in force and can be updated by authority notice at any time. The approval process underscores ongoing coordination between the regulator and operators to balance innovation with established rules.
