Google is to deploy a new subsea cable connecting the Middle East and Oceania.

Dhivaru is a new Trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system that will connect the Maldives, Christmas Island, and Oman.

“This investment will build on the Australia Connect initiative, furthering the reach, reliability, and resilience of digital connectivity across the Indian Ocean,” the company said. “’Dhivaru’ is the line that controls the main sail on traditional Maldivian sailing vessels, and signifies the skill, strength, and experience of the early sailors navigating the seas.”

Cable capacity and project timelines weren't shared.

As part of the project, Google said it would be investing in creating two new “connectivity hubs” for the region in the Maldives and Christmas Island.

While the details weren’t shared, the search giant said the hubs were “strategic investments designed to future-proof regional connectivity and accelerate the delivery of next-generation services through three core capabilities: cable switching, content caching, and colocation.”

As part of the development of these sites – described as smaller and less power hungry than a traditional Google data center – the company would be looking into local renewable power.

“We are delighted to partner with Google on this landmark initiative to establish a new connectivity hub in the Maldives. This project represents a major step forward in strengthening the nation’s digital infrastructure and enabling the next wave of digital transformation," said Ooredoo Maldives CEO and MD, Khalid Al Hamadi.

News that Google was developing some sort of infrastructure on Christmas Island surfaced earlier this month. Further details on landing points were not shared.

Christmas Island is currently the landing point for Vocus’ Australia-Singapore Cable. Google’s Australia Connect Interlink and Bosun cables will link the island to Australia when they launch in 2027.

Current and planned international subsea cables landing in the Maldives include the Peace, Falcon, Sea-Me-We-6, and India Asia Xpress systems, while the Maldives Sri Lanka Cable and Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network link the Maldives directly with Sri Lanka.

Oman is the landing point for 21 current and future planned cable systems across the country via eight landing points, though most are clustered around Muscat and Salalah.

"We are proud and excited to partner with Google on their expansion of subsea infrastructure and the establishment of a new connectivity hub in Addu City, the southernmost city of the Maldives,” added Ismail Rasheed, CEO & MD, Dhiraagu. “This strategic collaboration with one of the world’s largest tech players marks another milestone in strengthening the nation’s presence within the global subsea infrastructure, and further enhances the reliability and resiliency of our digital ecosystem."

The news is the latest in a series of cables Google has announced in recent years, many of which are focused on Oceania. As well as the three landing at Christmas Island, the company’s planned systems in the region include the Humboldt, Bulikula, Taihei, Proa, Echo, and Umoja cables.

Google is developing several cable landing stations across the region as part of its cable build-out.