The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) brought the Global Space Connectivity and Sustainability Event 2026 to a close in Riyadh today. Held at the commission's headquarters from October 12 to 14 under the theme "Connected Earth, Sustainable Space", it drew more than 8,000 experts, specialists and officials.

Organised with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and held under the patronage of Minister of Communications and Information Technology and CST Chairman Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, this edition combined the Connecting the World from the Skies Forum (NTN) and the Space Sustainability Forum (SSF) into a single event. A total of 115 speakers took part in 33 sessions and presentations, joined by regulators, manufacturers, space service providers and research institutions.

Discussions ran along two tracks. The non-terrestrial networks track covered satellite integration with 6G, direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, spectrum policy ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), and high-altitude platform stations (HAPS). The sustainability track looked at the space economy, orbital congestion, space debris, international space law and governance, and lunar and deep-space communications.

Winners were announced for the third Global NTN Research Competition 2026, run by CST with the IEEE, which received 81 papers from 280 researchers and academics, judged by more than 40 reviewers. First place went to a paper proposing a subsidy-aware pricing framework for satellite services under public budget constraints.

CST and the Saudi Space Agency also named the winners of the global SpaceUp competition, which attracted more than 690 entries from more than 50 countries and helped bring more than 40 companies to the Kingdom: SARsatX from Saudi Arabia, Smart Orbits from Jordan and Orbital Universe from Australia.

Alongside the main programme, CST's Digital Regulatory Academy and the ITU held a masterclass on satellite communications and regulation for 44 participants from 19 countries. Aramco Digital, Arabsat, Neo Space Group, ATON and Project-S presented applied solutions, and an interactive exhibition showcased work by researchers and startups.