Founding Members

The founding members of the World Space Association NPIO are the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Herbert Smith Freehills, and elseco:

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is a Governmental entity established within the Emirate of Dubai with the aim of promoting scientific innovation and technological advancement. In line with the approach of the UAE, the MBRSC works on missions and conducts research on space science and technology in its quest to develop the sector and build national skills. With over 200 employees, the Centre is also responsible for specialised and advanced technical projects. In addition to operating the DubaiSat 1 and 2 and Khalifasat satellites, the MBRSC provides space imaging and ground station services and support to other satellite services providers.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a leading global law firm with over 6,000 people, including more than 630 partners, operating across 26 offices in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The firm advises many of the world’s largest and most ambitious organisations on their most important transactions, disputes and projects. Clients value Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s ability to cut through complexity, mitigate risk and deliver practical, commercial solutions. The firm combines deep local insight with seamless cross‑border capability across all major regions, enabling it to support clients operating along the world’s key trade flows. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is the largest fully integrated law firm in Asia Pacific and is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading energy and resources firms. The firm is globally pre‑eminent in litigation, arbitration and contentious regulatory work, and an international leader in M&A, private equity, capital markets, infrastructure, and banking and finance. In the Middle East, the firm’s Dubai office serves as the hub of its regional operations, complemented by its Riyadh office, which provides a full‑service offering within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. From these offices, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer advises on corporate, finance, projects and real estate matters, and supports clients in resolving disputes across these sectors.

elseco limited is a high technology specialty insurance underwriting platform. More than 70 insurance and reinsurance companies including Lloyd’s syndicates currently trade on the platform in the lines of Space, Aviation and Energy. With the holding company based in the United Kingdom, the else group has regulated offices in Dubai and London. elseco provides the only operational full cycle insurance trading platform via its Atom™ technology platform, ranging from policy entry, risk management (leveraging big data analytics), CRM and portfolio management, to e-commerce, pricing analysis, accounting, compliance, HR and reporting. Having started in 2006, elseco prides itself on being different by design, delivering an intelligent approach to risk management, sophisticated risk analysis and “Made for Purpose” underwriting solutions.