Mobily and Telecom Egypt to deploy submarine cable through Red Sea

The new cable will be wholly owned by Mobily, and will pass through the Red Sea to connect Saudi Arabia and Egypt. There is room for expansion and access to Europe through various connectivity options, we’re told.

The new subsea cable will provide ‘more reliable connectivity, handle increasing telecom traffic, and meet the growing demand for internet services locally and internationally,’ says the release.

It will land at two cable landing stations along the Red Sea – namely Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Duba in Saudi Arabia – and will enable Mobily to connect the Arabian Gulf and Saudi Arabia’s neighbouring countries to the Egyptian landing station in the Red Sea through Mobily’s digital corridors.

“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, Chief Executive Officer of Mobily.

“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. I am pleased with our cooperation with Telecom Egypt, which will enable us to offer the best services to all our customers around the world.”

Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt added: “We are pleased to collaborate with Mobily, a renowned telecommunications player in the region, to connect communities throughout their extended network. This agreement marks a significant milestone in our collaboration with Mobily, advancing our joint ambitious plans and connecting major regional hubs such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

“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.”

In March this year four submarine telecoms cables were cut in the Red Sea, near the area in which the Houthies of Yemen have been attacking commercial shipping. Later in October, network services provider RETN claimed the damage affected close to 70% of Europe-Asia data traffic flow, not the 25% initially reported.