An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is planning a $700 million subsea and overland data cable project linking the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq, as regional competition intensifies around digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence connectivity. The proposed project, known as “WorldLink,” aims to strengthen regional data routes and improve connectivity between the Gulf and Europe.
According to reports, the cable would run undersea from the UAE to Iraq’s Faw peninsula before continuing overland toward the Turkish border. The initiative is expected to be privately funded and implemented in phases over a five-year period. The consortium includes Iraq’s Tech 964, Iraq-Kurdish DIL Technologies, and UAE-based Breeze Investments.
The planned route is intended to position Turkey as a key gateway for regional data traffic, offering an alternative to traditional routes passing through the Suez Canal. By increasing route diversity and reducing congestion, the project aims to improve network resilience and reduce latency, particularly as demand grows for data-intensive services such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The development comes amid rising investment across the Gulf in digital infrastructure, data centres, and connectivity corridors as countries seek to capitalise on the rapid expansion of AI-driven workloads and global data flows. Regional initiatives, including new fibre projects connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, reflect a broader strategic shift toward building resilient and diversified digital networks.
For Iraq, the project aligns with ongoing efforts to position itself as a regional transit hub, complementing broader infrastructure initiatives such as the Development Road corridor linking the Faw port to Turkey. If completed, the WorldLink cable would further integrate Turkey into emerging Gulf-Europe data routes and reinforce its role as a digital bridge between Asia and Europe.
