The Gulf’s AI boom is driving the race to control the data highways

As traditional Europe-Asia routes through the Red Sea become increasingly difficult due to geopolitical tensions, Gulf tech players are investing heavily in alternative subsea and terrestrial fiber routes to support their AI and cloud ambitions. Qatar's Ooredoo Group, which has transformed from a traditional telco to a digital infrastructure provider, is a key player in this push.

Its Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) subsea cable system, set for completion in late 2027, will be the largest ever built in the GCC, spanning 1,900 kilometers and delivering up to 720 terabits per second of capacity. Ooredoo's CEO, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, noted that FIG will connect Asia to Europe completely, avoiding both the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, running from Oman through Iraq and Turkey into Europe.

This alternative route has gained significance as subsea cable construction in the Red Sea has been halted since 2024 due to Houthi attacks. The Middle East serves as a crucial data conduit, with over 90% of Europe-Asia data and telecommunications traffic flowing through Egypt and the Red Sea-Suez Canal region. Ooredoo is investing billions to ensure its AI and cloud ambitions are not disrupted, with a focus on accelerating land-based infrastructure and cable ownership.

The company has partnered with du to land its FIG system in the UAE and is working with STC on building a terrestrial fiber-optic network called Sonic, which aims to create a "Digital Bridge" across the Arabian Peninsula.