Saba Al-RubayeView profile
Professor
Professor Saba Al-Rubaye is a leading academic in Telecommunications and Autonomous Systems at Cranfield University's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. She holds the Chair in Telecommunications and Autonomous Systems and is affiliated with the UK Telecoms Innovation Network. Her expertise spans 6G technologies, autonomous systems, and smart air mobility. With over 20 years of experience, she has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and secured significant grants from Innovate UK, EPSRC, and international bodies. Research Interests: Her work focuses on 5G/6G communications, autonomous systems, UAV security, and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Her research emphasizes integrating satellite and terrestrial networks for UAV operations, secure authentication protocols, and digital twin applications in aviation. Recent projects include Project RISE and Advanced Air Mobility Ecosystems Phase III, totaling £9.5M in funding. Recent Publications: Her 2024 work on 6G handover algorithms and 2025 studies on AI-driven decision-making highlight her contributions to future aviation connectivity. Key themes include seamless UAV communication, interference mitigation, and blockchain security in UAV networks. Awards: She has won multiple IEEE best paper awards (2011, 2015, 2020–2024) for her contributions to UAV communications and vehicular networks. Her leadership extends to organizing workshops at IEEE ICC and PIMRC conferences. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator/Co-I in £9.5M Future Flight Challenge projects, including Phase III Advanced Air Mobility Ecosystems and UAS Authentication System (£500k). Collaborations include Virgin Atlantic, NATS, and Thales. Labs & Teams: Leads the Advanced 5G for Transport Delivery initiative and the Digital Aviation Connectivity & Security project. Her research group actively explores 6G NTN integration and secure UAV frameworks.


/prod01/yorksjacuk/media/content-assets/staff-profile-images/brighton_nyagadza_-_london_staff_photos_march_2025-027.jpg)


