The Global Space Connectivity & Sustainability Event 2026 opens on Monday, October 12, 2026, at the headquarters of the Communications, Space & Technology Commission in Riyadh, running for three days under the patronage of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawaha, who chairs the commission's board of directors. The event is organized in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and carries the theme "A Connected World and a Sustainable Space," positioning Riyadh as a meeting point for international efforts to shape the future of non-terrestrial networks and outer-space sustainability.
The gathering brings together the International Forum on Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and the Space Sustainability Forum (SSF) in their third editions under a single umbrella, a structure the organizers describe as a reflection of unified international efforts to support innovation in non-terrestrial networks and space sustainability. Discussions will address global trends in the future of space communications and ways to strengthen integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, alongside regulatory and technical developments and their applications in expanding connectivity opportunities and bridging the global digital divide. The agenda also covers space sustainability and the optimal use of resources through the exchange of expertise and international best practices.
According to the Communications, Space & Technology Commission, the event will tackle several main themes, including integrated communications for the 6G era, preparations for the WRC-27 conference, and opening prospects for direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications, in addition to the space economy and its emerging markets and the role of space as core infrastructure. Further sessions will examine harnessing space for Earth's sustainability, global governance and responsible behavior in space, and the management of orbital congestion, interference mitigation and the prevention of space debris.
The event will also showcase the results of leading technical experiments and connectivity solutions over non-terrestrial networks, and will announce the winners of the Global NTN 2026 research competition, launched by the commission in cooperation with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The commission has invited those interested to register and view further details through the event's official website.