JEDDAH, 28 September 2005 — The benefits and applications of the global navigation satellite system program by Galileo Satellite were discussed at a two-day seminar, which ended at the Jeddah Hilton yesterday. Focus in particular was the investment potential for the public and private sectors and the benefits they could derive from the project.
Makkah Governor Prince Mishaal opened the conference on Monday night, which was hosted by the Presidency of Civil Aviation (PCA) and presented by Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU).
A team of specialists from the European Commission (EU), European Space Agency (ESA), and GJU presented Galileo’s applications in industrial, communications, and transport — air, land and water.
Galileo is the only global system that is designed specifically for civilian use. Private companies and agencies will be able to benefit from its navigation service on road, rail and ship. Tourists can identify locations of places they wish to visit, and taxi drivers can reach the required destinations quickly.
The Galileo program is a joint EU and ESA initiative, which represents the first global satellite positioning and navigation system designed specifically for civilian use worldwide that is owned by a group of states. “When we join the system, our role will be to derive the advantages until the set goals are realized,” the prince said.
The strategic decision by the Kingdom is under way and once it is taken it will be to the advantage of the agencies and enterprises in both public and private sectors, Mohammed A. Al-Salmi, director-general airways engineering, PCA, said during the daylong session that was held yesterday.
“Galileo is a worldwide system designed to bring about a great deal of benefits and services,” Heinz Hilbrecht, EU’s director for Trans-European Networks Transport & Energy, said. Economic studies confirm the success of this joint undertaking and the dramatic growth of the global satellite navigation market because of the diverse applications of these services.
Satellite radio navigation allows the possessor of a small receiver to determine his position very precisely in longitude, latitude and altitude to any given moment, by picking up signals emitted by orbiting satellites. Such systems are already revolutionizing air traffic control, ship and lorry fleet management, road and rail traffic monitoring, digital charts, mobile communications, banking, surveying, fishing and other applications and services, said the other speakers who included Paul Flament of the Galileo Program, Giorgio Solari of the technical division of GJU, and Steen Hougs, head of the navigation planning and project control office at the navigation department of ESA.
Galileo offers open service (free of charge similar to the one offered by GPS), safety of life service, commercial service (value-added service on payment of a fee), public regulated service designed specially for governmental applications, and search and rescue service.
