- Israel and Saudi Arabia have both recently expressed that the establishment of cables and trade routes connecting Europe to India could be advantageous outcomes of a potential normalization agreement.
- Saudi Arabia is also heavily investing in data centres and fibre optic cables to become a regional digital hub, with seven new cables set to land in the kingdom in the coming years
A landing station in the UAE has been confirmed for a fibre optic cable set to connect Israel to Gulf states. Leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia have both recently spoken about the potential benefits of normalizing relations, including cables and trade routes connecting Europe to India. The project, known as the Trans Europe Asia System (TEAS), would span 20,000 kilometres, linking Mumbai to Marseille through submarine cables and a terrestrial segment across the Arabian Peninsula.
Cinturion, the company behind TEAS, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, also known as ‘du,’ to construct the landing station in the UAE. Keystone, a major Israeli infrastructure investment fund, is backing Cinturion.
This development coincides with discussions among Middle Eastern leaders and the G20 about building new routes between India and Europe as a potential outcome of a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia emphasized the significance of the G20 plan and fibre optic cables in a recent interview, highlighting their potential benefits for Europe, the Middle East, and India.
Cable companies have sought to establish alternative routes through the Middle East over the past 15 years to reduce reliance on Egypt and its state-owned entity, Telecom Egypt (TE). Currently, all fibre optic cables connecting Europe and Asia in the region pass through the Red Sea and Egypt, handling a significant portion of global internet traffic.
The TEAS cable is not the only project aimed at bypassing Egypt. Google announced plans for a $400 million cable called Blue-Raman in 2021, running through Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. These projects are considered urgent alternatives to the Egyptian route.
Cinturion’s agreement to build a landing station in the UAE follows a previous deal in July to construct a landing station for a southern branch of the TEAS network near Jeddah on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Israeli involvement in the project is somewhat unclear, as Cinturion’s website does not mention Keystone’s investment.
Keystone, on its own website, states that it holds 25 percent of shares in the TEAS project. However, Cinturion has not provided a response regarding Israeli involvement.
Geopolitical sensitivity surrounds terrestrial connections between Saudi Arabia and Israel, leading to a desire to maintain secrecy in TEAS and Blue-Raman’s planning.
It remains uncertain whether the cables mentioned by Netanyahu and bin Salman in their recent public statements refer to TEAS, Blue-Raman, or other projects. Israel has previously announced plans to become a regional digital hub by building a fibre optic cable from Ashkelon to Eilat. Saudi Arabia is also heavily investing in data centres and fibre optic cables to become a regional digital hub, with seven new cables set to land in the kingdom in the coming years.
Industry experts note that gaining approval for multi-jurisdictional projects like TEAS, especially between countries with historical tensions like Israel and Saudi Arabia, remains extremely challenging.
