Ooredoo Group has signed a historic agreement to build a new submarine cable connecting seven countries in the region – Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq – with Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), a leading French company in the manufacture and installation of submarine cables.
The Fibre in Gulf (FIG) project will provide all GCC countries with a low-latency, shorter and secure route to a new corridor connecting Europe with up to 24 fibre pairs and a capacity of up to 720 Tbps. This advanced infrastructure will deliver exceptional connectivity benefits to hyperscalers, business customers, governments, AI providers, data centres and telecom operators, by enhancing network reliability and security, as well as significantly enhancing connection speeds.
The region’s digital industry is set to receive a significant boost from Ooredoo’s investment, which will support the growth of cloud services, big data initiatives, and the acceleration of digital transformation across the region.
Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “This historic project aligns with Ooredoo’s ambitious strategy to lead in digital infrastructure by expanding network capacity and interconnectivity across the GCC and beyond. We will deliver cutting-edge technologies to the region while ensuring sustainable growth for our investors through long-term revenue from rising data demand and market leadership in digital infrastructure. This initiative positions Ooredoo as a key player in addressing the rapidly growing data demand between Asia and Europe.”
Alain Biston, CEO, ASN, said: “We are honoured to partner with Ooredoo on the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) submarine cable project, a game-changing initiative that will mark a turning point in regional connectivity across the GCC. Leveraging ASN’s cutting-edge technologies and operational excellence, this state-of-the-art infrastructure will reliably deliver exceptional capacity and connectivity, empowering the region’s digital transformation ambitions and establishing it as a pivotal hub for global data exchange.”
Ooredoo has been cementing its position as the leading digital infrastructure provider in the region through its initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, submarine cable systems, fintech, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The company became the first NVIDIA Cloud Partner in the region in 2024 and is set to deploy advanced GPU chips during the first quarter of this year. Ooredoo Oman, an Ooredoo Group company, last year signed an agreement to land the 2Africa Cable System in Barka and Salalah in Oman.
Najib Khan, Group Chief Business Services Officer, Ooredoo, said: “We are excited to launch this strategic project, which features state-of-the-art technologies deployed for the first time in the region. This will provide susbstantial benefits to hyperscalers, business customers, governments and AI application providers. It reflects our commitment to becoming the leading digital infrastructure provider in the region, delivering innovative business services and driving regional growth.”
