Thuraya was founded in the UAE in 1997 by a consortium of leading national telecommunications operators and international investment houses. The turnkey project was built by US satellite manufacturer Boeing Satellite Systems (formerly Hughes).

The Thuraya-1 satellite was successfully launched on board a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on 21st of October 2000. The launch was a record success, as it was the first satellite initiated from the Middle East and also the satellite was the heaviest to be launched ever.

Thuraya's second satellite Thuraya-2 was launched on the 10th of June 2003. The Thuraya-2 satellite was deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit by Sea Launch, which was also the launching vehicle for Thuraya's first satellite. Designed for a 12-15 year lifespan, the Thuraya 2 satellite is positioned in Geosynchronous Orbit, 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above the Earth, at 44 degrees East Longitude and znclined at 6.3 degrees.