The company behind the pan-European Medusa subsea cable system has signed a connectivity deal with a Saudi telecoms provider.

AFR-IX Telecom this week announced a new partnership with Saudi telecoms firm Etihad Salam.

Under the agreement, Etihad Salam will become the primary landing and interconnection hub for the Medusa system within Saudi Arabia through Aqaba (Jordan).

Etihad Salam will deliver terrestrial backhaul services and capacity to incorporate Medusa’s network into Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC.

“Our partnership with Medusa underscores Salam’s commitment to positioning Saudi Arabia as a central hub for regional connectivity,” said Amjad Arab, chief wholesale and alliances officer at Etihad Salam. “By linking the Medusa cable to our robust infrastructure, we’re creating innovative international routes that expand our worldwide presence and meet the surging needs for digital and cloud services in the Kingdom. Through this partnership, we seek to offer enriched connectivity services, experiences, and bring the world closer, ultimately empowering businesses to scale and innovate in an increasingly digital landscape.”

Medusa is set to run from the Carcavelos area of Lisbon, Portugal, through the Mediterranean to Port Said, Egypt, and Aqaba, Jordan.

First announced in 2022, the 24-fiber pair system is due to land in Spain, France, the Italian island of Sicily, Greece, and Cyprus. It is also due to land on Africa’s northern coast at multiple points across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

Norman Albi, CEO of AFR-IX telecom and Medusa Africa Submarine Cable System, added: “We’re excited to collaborate with Etihad Salam, whose expertise and network complement our objective of providing secure, expansive, and high-performance connectivity from the Mediterranean outward. This partnership elevates reliability and coverage for carriers worldwide, driving forward digital advancement across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East."

Founded in 2005 and formerly known as Integrated Telecom Company (ITC), Salam operates a 17,000-kilometer (10,563 miles) fiber network across Saudi Arabia. The company is part of the Mawarid Holding conglomerate.

Data Center Map currently lists three data center sites from the company in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Khober near Dammam. On its website, Salam lists cable landing stations in Jeddah and outside Dammam in Jubail, and a teleport in Jeddah.

The company is part of Damac’s plans to build a data center in the new King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) outside Jeddah.

Medusa has made its first landing in Marseille, France, and is due to land in Bizerte (Tunisia) and Nador (Morocco) between late October and December. The system is due to go live in early 2026.

AFR-IX has previously signed a deal to land the Medusa cable in Port-Gentil, Gabon, and the company has mentioned a planned landing point in the Democratic Republic of Congo.