Telecom Egypt, Mobily subsea cable to link Saudi, Egypt

Telecom Egypt and Saudi Arabian technology, media and telecom (TMT) company Mobily have signed a cooperation agreement to land the first Saudi submarine cable connecting the Kingdom to Egypt.  

The cable, a wholly-owned Mobily project, will cross the Red Sea and provide a direct link between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with various connection points allowing for expansion into Europe.

In a joint statement, the companies said the new cable will land at two cable landing stations in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and Duba, Saudi Arabia.

The companies said the cable will connect to existing subsea cable systems in Egypt, further bolstering regional infrastructure.

The new cable will land at two cable landing stations in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and Duba, Saudi Arabia. (Source: Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik)

"The signing of the agreement underscores our commitment to expanding our infrastructure and enhancing our capabilities both regionally and internationally, as Mobily's new cable will connect Saudi Arabia to Egypt and improve communication flexibility between the Middle East and Europe," Mobily CEO Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran explained.

Telecom Egypt's managing director and CEO, Mohamed Nasr, also described the agreement as a huge milestone in advancing both companies' joint plans.  

African subsea cable deals

The agreement to land a subsea cable linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt comes at a time when many companies are working towards connecting Africa and the Middle East to the rest of the world through subsea cables.

Related:Telecom Egypt, Zain to build digital corridor

In January 2024, Telecom Egypt and Zain Omantel International (ZOI) partnered to establish what they call a new digital corridor connecting the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf.

In May 2024, ICT solutions provider Angola Cables and Camtel, Cameroon's incumbent telecommunications operator, joined forces to expand digital and connectivity services in Cameroon and the West Africa region.

Also in May 2024, Mauritius Telecom partnered with Orange and Reliance Jio to build a new subsea cable connecting Africa, Indian Ocean islands and Asia.

That announcement came after the West Africa Cable System (WACS) and three other lines – the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and South Atlantic-3 (Sat-3) – were disrupted in March 2024 and subsequently fixed in May 2024.

That disruption came when a suspected subsea seismic event occurred off the coast of Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire on the west coast of Africa, impacting Africa's Internet services.