Telecom Egypt and Mobily 'Launch Direct Subsea Cable'

Direct undersea cable linking Saudi Arabia to Egypt would give improved region telecom connectivity and data traffic, said Mobily and Telecom Egypt, which have reached a mutual agreement.

During a press conference, Mobily and Telecom Egypt have announced plans for the first submarine cable connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the countries have promised details of a new three year partnership. But the cable is to be funded by Mobily and will stretch through the Red Sea, between Sharm El Sheikh and Duba. Its capacity, again not disclosed, and therefore its cost, has not been disclosed, but the project is touted as a major step forward in the region's telecom infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia and its neighboring countries will have multiple subseas cable systems connecting to Egypt's telecom network through Mobily’s new cable. Egypt currently has 18 submarine cables of which 22 will be installed next year. The country has 20 underwater cables to which more landings are expected. Nevertheless, there has been no direct subsea communication up until now between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

In the case of Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Badran, CEO of Mobily, he revealed that the new cable declares Saudi Arabia’s status as one of the most important telecom centers in the Middle East and where it increases the connection between Saudi Arabia and Europe in general, as well as in particular. Telecom Egypt’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Nasr, also recognized the importance of the deal in achieving the region’s
inter-connectivity within a specific timeframe especially with the new landing station being built in Sharm El Sheikh.

This cooperation agreement is a major boost of telecom services in the region and positions both countries in the new light as telecom and data traffic centers.