“In this digital age, data has become the world’s most valuable resource and subsea cables are the arteries through which it flows.” That’s how Najib Khan, Ooredoo Group’s Chief Business Services Officer, framed the growing importance of subsea connectivity.
In an exclusive conversation with Telecom Review, Najib offered candid insights into why subsea cables have moved from a hidden utility to a geopolitical and economic priority, how Ooredoo’s investments are reshaping the Gulf’s digital landscape, and what it will take for the Middle East to claim its place as a global digital hub.
Subsea cables are often called the “lifelines” of the digital economy. Why are they becoming so critical now?
Subsea cables already carry more than 95% of the world’s internet traffic, so these “invisible giants” beneath our oceans have always been important. But the difference now is scale. We’re seeing an explosion in data. AI, cloud, fintech, streaming, IoT, you name it, all creating traffic at unprecedented levels.
At the same time, governments and enterprises are moving at full speed on digital transformation. That means they need low-latency, secure, resilient connectivity that links data centers, hyperscalers, and end users. Hyperscalers alone now account for more than 60% of global subsea investment.
So, subsea cables have gone from being a hidden utility to strategic national assets. They’re no longer just about connectivity; they’re about sovereignty, resilience, and the ability to innovate.
You’ve mentioned resilience and geopolitics. How does Ooredoo’s Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) system address these challenges?
If you look at the way the world is connected today, there’s a massive dependency on the Red Sea–Suez route. Around 95% of Europe-Asia traffic passes through Egypt, and we’ve already seen how disruptions in that corridor can cause delays and risks.
That’s why FIG is such a game-changer. We seized the opportunity to acquire, through Alcatel Submarine Networks, a subsea system that connects all seven GCC countries—Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq—in a single, high-capacity loop.
When it’s complete, FIG will be the largest subsea system ever built in the Gulf, with 720 terabits per second across 24 fiber pairs—more than the combined capacity of all existing and planned Gulf cables.
It’s low-latency, secure, scalable and it’s going to open up new digital frontiers for hyperscalers, businesses, governments, AI providers, and data centers. Just as importantly, it gives the region a much faster, more reliable corridor into Europe.
How do subsea cables and data centers complement each other in this ecosystem?
You really can’t separate the two; they’re two sides of the same coin. Subsea cables are the highways that carry the traffic, and data centers are the homes where that traffic is stored, processed, and delivered.
For hyperscalers and enterprises, one of the first questions is always: How close is the landing station to the data center? Because that proximity is what determines efficiency and competitiveness.
That’s why Ooredoo is investing in subsea cables like FIG, while also expanding our AI-ready data center capacity. Together, they create an ecosystem where connectivity, cloud, and edge computing all work hand-in-hand. For customers, that translates into seamless, secure, low-latency services that power everything from AI model training to real-time fintech apps.
Also Read: Ooredoo Opens First Integrated Data Center and Cable Station in Southern Oman
How is Ooredoo positioning itself as a partner of choice in this rapidly evolving space?
For us, it boils down to two things: trust and scale. We have the regional presence that global players need, and we combine that with partnerships that bring in the best technology.
Our role is to take those advanced capabilities, make them accessible locally, and ensure they meet regional regulations. That’s what makes Ooredoo the natural choice: we bridge global standards with local realities. And that’s exactly what our partners want.
What does this mean for the Middle East?
The Middle East is at a unique crossroads between Asia, Europe, and Africa. That gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to be more than just a consumer of technology. We can actually be the hub.
Projects like FIG are at the heart of this. Combine them with data center growth and cloud ecosystems, and you’ve got the building blocks of real economic diversification. And let’s not forget the AI angle. Huge datasets and compute power need resilient, high-capacity corridors.
So, yes, these cables may be invisible under the sea, but the impact is visible everywhere: in job creation, economic diversification, and digital empowerment.
Interesting Read: The Future of the Middle East’s Connectivity Beneath the Waves
Finally, what’s your outlook on the future of subsea connectivity and Ooredoo’s role in it?
The demand curve is only pointing one way: UP.
There will be more data, more AI, and more reliance on digital infrastructure. Future subsea systems will have unimaginable capacity, and they’ll be built with intelligence and sustainability at their core.
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But the real story isn’t the technology itself; it’s what it enables: a start-up in Doha serving customers globally, a hospital sharing expertise across borders, an energy company using AI to predict failures before they happen.
At Ooredoo, we want to make sure the Middle East is not just plugged into this future, but shaping it. With trusted, open, and transformative digital infrastructure, we can turn connectivity into empowerment.
