It was established in 1996 by the government of Egypt with the purpose of operating Egyptian satellites and their associated mission control center and ground stations.

[1] The company is now listed on the Egyptian Exchange, though remains controlled by the government (c.75%) through the National Media Authority (40%), and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

[4] Nilesat 101 was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana on 28 April 1998 at 22:53:00 UTC by the European Space Agency.

Nilesat 102 was launched by an Ariane 44LP rocket from Kourou, French Guiana on 17 August 2000 at 23:16 UTC by the European Space Agency.

It was manufactured by the European company Matra Marconi Space (Astrium), and started official broadcasting on 12 September 2000.

[11] Built by Thales Alenia Space and launched by SpaceX on 8 June 2022, the Egyptian satellite will be stationed at 7.0° west at geostationary transfer orbit.