WorldLink: Bridging the Gulf with Advanced Connectivity

An Iraqi-Emirati consortium plans to establish a $700 million subsea-and-terrestrial data cable connecting the UAE to Turkey through Iraq. The WorldLink initiative aims to enhance connectivity in the region, complementing a Saudi-backed fibre-optic project in Syria, amidst broader economic and geopolitical competition.

An Iraqi-Emirati consortium, under the banner WorldLink, is poised to build a $700 million data cable that will link the United Arab Emirates to Turkey, passing through Iraq. This announcement follows closely on the heels of a Saudi-backed fibre-optic initiative in Syria, as Gulf countries vie to become technological hubs.

WorldLink's infrastructure combines an undersea cable from the UAE to Iraq's Faw peninsula, with further terrestrial expansion reaching the Turkish border. Ali El Akabi, head of Tech 964, one of the consortium's members, disclosed that this privately funded project would be executed over five years, aiming to reduce data transit times over traditional routes.

Saudi Arabia and Syria revealed a parallel plan, dubbed SilkLink, to rejuvenate Syria's infrastructure with a $1 billion investment. The consortium, including Iraq-Kurdish DIL Technologies and UAE-based Breeze Investments, underscores the region's strategic thrust to amplify connectivity and readiness for AI infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)