RIYADH – An Iraqi-Emirati consortium has unveiled plans for a $700 million subsea-and-terrestrial data cable linking the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq, positioning the project as a strategic connectivity corridor amid intensifying regional competition over digital infrastructure.
The initiative, branded WorldLink, will combine an undersea cable from the UAE to Iraq’s Faw peninsula on the Gulf, followed by a terrestrial fibre route extending northward to the Turkish border. The project is backed by Tech 964, DIL Technologies, and UAE-based Breeze Investments.
According to Ali El Akabi, head of Iraq’s Tech 964, the network will be privately funded and implemented in phases over a five-year period. The route is designed to reduce congestion and cut transit times compared to traditional connectivity pathways that pass through the Suez Canal.
The announcement comes shortly after Saudi Arabia and Syria revealed plans for a separate $1 billion fibre-optic initiative known as SilkLink, aimed at rehabilitating Syria’s infrastructure and positioning it as a data bridge between Asia and Europe.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are seeking to capitalise on rising demand for high-capacity connectivity as they compete to become regional hubs for artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centres.
In response to the WorldLink announcement, Syria’s telecommunications ministry said additional infrastructure investments enhance route diversity and resilience across the region, while emphasising that SilkLink is designed to deliver low-latency and high-availability performance.
WorldLink’s sponsors say the project is aligned with the growing need for AI-ready infrastructure. Nayef Al Ameri, chairman of Breeze Investments, described the initiative as a strategic platform to deliver faster and more reliable connectivity to support accelerating AI adoption and digital transformation across the region.
The project reflects a broader shift in Middle Eastern digital strategy, where fibre corridors, subsea cables, and data centre ecosystems are increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure underpinning economic diversification and geopolitical positioning.
