Sovereignty in Orbit, with Hamdullah Mohib (CEO of Orbitworks)

Jan 14, 2026

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As more nations realize that space is no longer just a scientific domain but a foundation of economic power and national security, a new question is emerging: who will actually build the infrastructure that underpins it? Orbitworks believes the answer lies in sovereign capability: designed locally, manufactured locally, and operated with speed and control.

Founded by Hamdullah Mohib, a former national security advisor and diplomat who spent years operating at the highest levels of geopolitics, Orbitworks sits at an unusual intersection of statecraft and space manufacturing. Based in Abu Dhabi, the company is building one of the region’s first commercial satellite manufacturing facilities and developing Altair, a native constellation designed to move beyond raw imagery and toward information-driven services for both sovereign and commercial customers.

We discuss:

How Orbitworks is building a commercial satellite industry from scratch in the UAE
The strategic logic behind flexible architectures over fixed hardware
How the Middle East is positioning itself as a serious node in the global space economy
What it takes to build talent, supply chains, and culture in a brand-new space ecosystem

• Chapters •

00:00 - Intro
00:59 - Hamdullah's journey from government and geopolitics to space
05:11 - What is Orbitworks?
06:25 - Partnerships with Orbitworks
08:43 - A joint venture
09:40 - Partnering with Loft Orbital
17:09 - Differences that founders experience in the Middle East
21:26 - Altair constellation
23:29 - Dual use commercial and government
26:34 - Building a facility in KEZAD
33:02 - Cultivating and nurturing talent
34:30 - How the Middle East is thinking about space
40:21 - Priorities of sovereign wealth funds
42:33 - Lessons in leadership
47:08 - Fundraising plans/goals
48:47 - Hamdullah's vision for space in the Middle East
50:46 - What excites Hamdullah the most about the space industry?

• Show notes •

Orbitwork’s website —https://www.orbitworks.space/

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear /

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/

Tectonic’s socials — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/

Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/

• About us •

Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.