ICEYE has appointed Christos Kolimenakis as Chief Executive Officer of ICEYE UAE, giving the sovereign space-intelligence company dedicated local leadership in Abu Dhabi as it deepens its presence in the Emirates. The company announced the appointment on 3 August 2026.
Kolimenakis joins ICEYE after a 15-year career at JPMorgan, where he most recently served as a Managing Director in the firm's UAE office. During his tenure he led JPMorgan's Innovation Economy coverage across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, building relationships across the technology ecosystem and advising many of the region's fastest-growing companies. Having spent a significant part of his career in the Middle East, and particularly in the UAE, he brings extensive leadership experience and a close understanding of the region's technology and innovation landscape.
As UAE Chief Executive, Kolimenakis will lead ICEYE's operations in the country, strengthen strategic partnerships and support the company's long-term growth. The company said he will also work closely with customers and stakeholders to help develop sovereign space capabilities and contribute to the growth of the UAE's space ecosystem. The appointment reflects ICEYE's long-term commitment to the UAE and reinforces a widening strategic partnership between the European Union and the UAE in space, defence and advanced technologies.
"The UAE has established itself as one of the world's most ambitious and forward-looking space nations," said Kolimenakis. "I am proud to join ICEYE at such an exciting stage in the company's journey and to help lead its next phase of growth in the UAE. Our ambition is to expand ICEYE's local presence while working alongside government, industry and research institutions to strengthen the country's space ecosystem, support sovereign capabilities and further deepen the strategic partnership between the European Union and the UAE in advanced space technologies."
Rafal Modrzewski, Chief Executive and Co-founder of ICEYE, said the UAE had been an important partner for the company for many years and described the appointment as an important next step in that relationship. He said Kolimenakis brings senior strategic experience and a first-hand understanding of the UAE and the wider region, positioning ICEYE to deepen cooperation with government, industry and universities across the country's space sector.
Founded in Finland and operating globally with more than 1,000 employees, ICEYE owns and operates what it describes as the world's largest and most advanced constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites, delivering continuous Earth observation to defence, intelligence, insurance and emergency-management customers in any weather, day or night. The company also builds constellations that governments can operate as sovereign systems free from ITAR restrictions, a capability that has drawn growing interest across the Gulf as regional governments invest in independent space infrastructure.
The creation of a dedicated UAE chief executive role signals ICEYE's intent to convert a long-standing commercial relationship into a deeper industrial partnership, aligning the company with the Emirates' ambition to become a leading global space hub.
