Telecom Egypt and Mobily have signed a cooperation agreement to land the first Saudi-owned subsea cable, connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The pair first signed a memorandum of understanding for the cable in June 2022.
Wholly owned by Mobily, the cable will traverse the Red Sea, with only two landing points; one in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and the other in Duba, Saudi Arabia.
The companies added that the cable will have connections to other subsea systems also landing in Egypt and options for expansion to routes in Europe.
Other details of the unnamed cable, including its capacity, have not yet been shared.
“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,” said Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran, CEO of Mobily.
Mohamed Nasr, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, added: “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.”
Saudi telco Mobily was founded in 2004. The company is majority-owned by Etisalat.
While Saudi has become a popular landing point for subsea cables, with 17 cables landing in the kingdom and more set to join in the coming years, this will be the first Saudi-owned cable to connect the nation.
More than a dozen cables pass through the Red Sea. In recent years, in light of recent Houthi attacks on shipping lanes at the southern end of the Red Sea, telcos have mooted alternative fiber routes in the region.
