The two companies first signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the cable in 2022
Saudi Arabian telco Mobily has partnered with Telecom Egypt to launch the first submarine cable connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt through the Red Sea. The new cable, which will be wholly owned by Mobily, aims to improve connectivity and meet the growing demand for internet services in both countries.
The cable will land at two stations: Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Duba in Saudi Arabia. The connection will allow Mobily to link the Arabian Gulf and neighbouring countries to Egypt, enhancing access to various international networks.
“The new cable represents a significant milestone in strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading international hub for telecommunications services and data traffic, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran, Mobily’s CEO.
“Complementing the newly established landing station in Sharm El Sheikh, we are developing new crossing routes to connect Sharm El Sheikh to the Mediterranean Sea. Telecom Egypt is dedicated to advancing the international telecommunications infrastructure by enhancing the geographical diversity of the global subsea cable networks. We are confident that this commercial agreement will be a valuable addition to our ongoing efforts to support this critical sector and cater to the rising demand for capacity and connectivity,” added Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and CEO at Telecom Egypt.
In October last year, the Red Sea saw a rise in paramilitary activities, with Yemeni Houthi forces attacking commercial vessels, reportedly in response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
By February, the situation, dubbed the “Red Sea crisis,” escalated to a critical issue for global telecommunications as damage to submarine cables in the area severely disrupted data traffic across Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is unclear whether or not this damage was deliberate.
A report from network service provider RETN last month, said that the cable cuts impacted up to 70% of Europe–Asia data traffic – far greater than the 25% previously estimated.
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