ictQATAR (representing the State of Qatar) and Eutelsat Communications have announce the signing of a partnership agreement to invest in and operate a new high-capacity satellite at Eutelsat's 25.5 degrees East location, one of the two longstanding and anchored neighbourhoods serving fast-growing markets in the Middle East and North Africa regions.

This historic partnership was signed this morning at the Emiri Diwan in Doha, in the presence of H.E Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani and Eutelsat Chairman Giuliano Berretta, by Dr Hessa Al Jaber Secretary General of ictQatar and Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO.

To be launched at the end of 2012, the new satellite will provide both a significantly expanded mission and superior coverage and power across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia to follow-on from Eutelsat's EUROBIRD 2 satellite, which is currently operated at 25.5 degrees East.

In addition to securing Ku-band continuity for Eutelsat and additional Ku-band resources for ictQATAR, it will initiate a Ka-band capability opening business opportunities for both parties.

This multi-mission architecture will enable both partners to respond to the fastest-growing applications in the Middle East and Africa, including video broadcasting, enterprise communications and government services. The television market will in particular benefit from the installed base of more than 13 million satellite homes already equipped for Direct-to-Home reception from this neighbourhood.

"Qatar is pleased to enter into this strategic partnership with Eutelsat with a satellite resource that we have named "ES'HAIL". The agreement is important for us as it will secure our strategic interests in communications capabilities in terms of broadcasting, communications, government services and any other future innovative services that our local market will require", said Dr. Hessa Al Jaber.

Michel de Rosen added: "We are honoured to partner with ictQatar and are convinced that together, we can represent a strong and complementary force that benefits the expansion and continuing sophistication of digital services across the footprint of our future new satellite. We look forward to developing this new relationship with ictQatar, which further anchors on a long-term basis our commitment to markets in the Middle East and North Africa".

Eutelsat and ictQatar are scheduled to place the order for the new satellite by the middle of 2010, with launch in late 2012. This programme is part of the capex plan communicated by Eutelsat Communications for the period 2009-2012.