Qatari telco Ooredoo has named the United Arab Emirates (UAE) telecoms firm du as its landing partner for its Fiber in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable.

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “FIG reflects our continued focus on building high-capacity, resilient connectivity infrastructure aligned with how demand is evolving. This partnership with du marks another step in the execution of the project. Combined with the progress already made across other landing points, it reinforces the role of international connectivity in supporting the region’s long-term digital growth.”

Ooredoo announced plans for the FIG system in February 2025. Set to land in Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, the cable will provide 720Tbps of capacity across 24 fiber pairs.

The 1,931km (1,199 mile) cable is set to be built by Alcatel Submarine Networks, with completion slated for Q4 2027.

ITPC is the landing partner in Iraq.

Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO, du, added: "Landing the FIG subsea cable in the UAE strengthens our international connectivity capabilities and reinforces the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for data, cloud, and AI. Our partnership with Ooredoo enables the scale, resilience, and performance required to support hyperscalers, enterprises, and digital ecosystems as demand for advanced connectivity continues to grow. This initiative aligns with the UAE’s digital transformation and economic agenda, supporting the nation’s vision to build a globally competitive, knowledge-based digital economy."

Majority-owned by the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, Oredoo operates across nine countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. The company is spinning out its subsea holdings into a new division, known as Ooredoo Fibre Networks.

Du operates cable landing stations in Kalba and Dubai. The company has previously been involved in the Oman Emirates Gateway, Peace, Singapore-India-Gulf (SING), TEAS, Orient Express, Falcon, and Europe India Gateway subsea cable projects.

The UAE is the landing point for more than 20 current and planned cables. Kalba, on the country’s east coast, is the landing point for the 2Africa, Peace, and Africa-1 systems.