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Iraq-UAE Data Cable Links Turkey to Gulf
16 Feb
Summary
- A $700 million data cable will connect UAE to Turkey via Iraq.
- The project aims to ease data route congestion and reduce transit times.
- It will be privately funded and take four to five years to complete.
An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is set to construct a new subsea-and-terrestrial data cable, branded WorldLink, with an estimated cost of $700 million. This ambitious project will link the United Arab Emirates to Turkey, traversing through Iraq.
The WorldLink initiative involves an undersea cable stretching from Fujairah in the UAE to Iraq's Faw peninsula. From there, the connection will continue overland north to the Turkish border. This venture is privately funded and is projected to be completed within four to five years.
Spearheaded by Iraq's Tech 964, alongside DIL Technologies and Breeze Investments, the project targets hyperscalers, international carriers, and AI applications. Its objective is to reduce congestion on current east-west data pathways and decrease transit times, offering a more efficient alternative to routes passing through the Suez Canal.
This development follows closely on the heels of a Saudi-backed fiber-optic project announced recently for Syria, signaling a regional race to boost connectivity and attract data center investments. Iraq is also promoting its "Development Road" plan to serve as a stable transit corridor.
