Qatar’s Ooredoo has announced plans to invest more than $500 million to overhaul international cable routes connecting Iraq, in a move designed to strengthen regional digital infrastructure and enhance global data flow.
CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo told the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the initiative will restructure terrestrial connectivity between Oman, Iraq, Turkey, and Europe, significantly reducing latency while improving resilience across critical data corridors.
The redesigned routes aim to bypass existing choke points in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz—areas that have faced outages and electronic interference impacting internet services and maritime navigation. By creating alternative pathways, Ooredoo intends to boost network capacity and reinforce the region’s position at the centre of global data traffic.
The project is also expected to accelerate Iraq’s digital transformation. According to the Iraq International News Agency (IINA), the expanded capacity and improved cybersecurity environment will create growth opportunities for digital education, e-commerce, financial services, and international investment.
Industry analysts note that stronger terrestrial routes will help mitigate risks highlighted during the Israel-Iran conflict in June, when electronic interference disrupted navigation and multiple Red Sea cable outages affected connectivity across several countries.
