It's a huge investment: Qatari telecommunications company Ooredoo plans to invest half a billion US dollars (around 430 billion euros) in a new terrestrial fiber optic cable network - from the Arabian Peninsula to Europe - in the coming years. It would start in Oman, then reach Marseille via Iraq and Turkey, the Qatari news agency QNA reported these days.
Separately, according to media reports, both Saudi Arabia and Syria are negotiating the construction of a new cable line. It would also lead from the Arabian Peninsula – more precisely, from the Saudi kingdom – to Europe.
Interestingly, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are now trying to establish a land connection, says Berlin-based researcher on organizations and transformation Ayad al-Ani in an interview with DW.
"Because this land connection implies that both Iraq and Syria are considered safe transit countries in which to invest. This will integrate both countries more closely into the international data and communications system, which can also benefit the local digital economy. This will likely boost their economic development as well."
Reaction to recent crises
The construction of the new network is also a consequence of recent crises, indicated Aziz Alutman Fahr, CEO of Ooredoo, adding that the new network will strengthen the resilience of global communication systems and create alternative routes. This would avoid the current challenges in the Red Sea and the Russian Strait.
For network operators, these two sea areas are currently problematic. The Strait of Hormuz separates the Arabian Peninsula from Iran – and from countries with which Iran has until recently been in a fierce rivalry, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia in particular has been the subject of conflict in recent years. Qatar, however, has good relations with Iran.
The situation in the Red Sea is even more sensitive. 22.000 ships pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait there every year. The digital network is also dense: 15 intercontinental submarine cables currently run through it. According to Hong Kong Global Communications (HGC), 80% of data between Asia, Africa and Europe is transmitted through them.
Frequent attacks on digital infrastructure
These cables have been the target of attacks on several occasions – or at least they could have been, as intentional damage cannot always be proven unequivocally.
The first outage occurred in 2008: according to research by the Henry Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, five cables were damaged. Three of them connected Asia and Europe. Egypt temporarily lost 70 percent of its internet connection, and India 50 to 60 percent. Whether the damage was intentional is unclear.
During the Gaza war, the Houthis in Yemen supported the radical Islamist Hamas. In this context, they not only disrupted navigation through the Red Sea with attacks for several months, but, according to HGC data, in the spring of 2024 they damaged four of the 15 cables that pass through it, including one that connects three continents.
In total, more than a quarter of data traffic was compromised, according to the allegations. In a post, HGC described how it maintained intercontinental communications: Some of the data was rerouted via the Chinese mainland to Europe, some via the US, and some via undamaged undersea cables through the Red Sea.
Telecommunications industry: systematic expansion
Such incidents should thwart two planned projects. The region is a global logistics and digital hub through which 30% of the world's data passes and as much as 90% of data between Europe and Asia, said Ooredoo CEO Aziz Alutman Fahru.
Qatar is systematically improving its telecommunications industry. Last fall, Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN) and Gulf Bridge International (GBI) announced the merger of their telecommunications sectors.
The merger has now been completed. QNBN specializes in fiber optic cables, GBI in submarine and terrestrial cables. By combining them, the companies aim to make Qatar a leading country for international data traffic, reports the Qatari newspaper The Peninsula.
More than just infrastructure
In addition, these projects are not just pure infrastructure, but are connected to their own digital technology, such as data centers, says Ayad al-Ani.
"The infrastructure itself is already a significant source of revenue. But combined with its own computing and development centers, it provides the foundation for a successful digital economy."
According to Gulf Bridge, Qatar is currently trying to attract innovative companies from Europe and Asia and offer a seamless gateway for connectivity in the Middle East. In merging QNBN and GBI, the goal is also to expand its global presence, according to the Gulf Times in October 2024.
Qatar, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are also laying the foundations for a post-fossil fuel era with these networks, says Ayad al-Ani. As he states, these countries are not strategically located, but rather at the intersection of three continents – Asia, Africa and Europe.
"The region also has almost unlimited solar energy for data centers, which is relatively cheap. This is a significant advantage in this energy-intensive industry. They do not require additional nuclear power plants, as is the case, for example, in the US."
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