Dubai — October 2025: Telecommunications leader du and global Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX have announced a major achievement for UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX, the Middle East’s largest and most advanced Internet Exchange. The IX has reached a record peak traffic rate of 1 Terabit per second (Tbit/s) through its datamena ecosystem, marking a pivotal moment in the UAE’s digital transformation journey.
The announcement was made at GITEX Global 2025, where du showcased its vision under the theme “AI’s not just the future. With us, it shapes your next step.”
Operating as a neutral interconnection ecosystem, UAE-IX connects global carriers, cloud providers, enterprises, and content platforms, ensuring that regional internet traffic remains local. This setup drastically reduces latency, enhances performance, and improves digital experiences for millions of users across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
With over 110 connected networks and 6 terabits of aggregated capacity, UAE-IX is now the first Internet Exchange in the Middle East to reach this 1 Tbit/s milestone — a figure driven purely by customer traffic.
Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du, said:
“This record-setting performance reflects our strategic foresight and commitment to building a future-ready digital ecosystem. UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX now serves as the backbone of the country’s digital transformation.”
Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, emphasized the IX’s role in enabling low-latency connectivity and cross-sector resilience:
“Our partnership with du and its datamena platform has made UAE-IX the region’s premier interconnection hub. Together, we are shaping the infrastructure of the digital future.”
H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), highlighted the milestone as a demonstration of the UAE’s success in developing robust and cost-efficient interconnection infrastructure that underpins innovation and data reliability.
Enterprises connected to UAE-IX benefit from peering, cloud exchange, routing, and advanced cybersecurity tools such as DDoS mitigation via blackholing. These features enable organizations to scale securely and efficiently while supporting the UAE’s national vision for smart, data-driven growth.
DE-CIX — which operates leading IXs across Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE — has been active in the region for over a decade under its DE-CIX as a Service (DaaS) model, offering full operational and marketing support to partners.
