Batelco, a part of the Beyon Group, and UAE telecom company e& have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for landing Al Khaleej Cable in the UAE – a development that aims at enhancing data exchange and communication capabilities within the region.

Fully owned by Batelco, the 1,400 km long Al Khaleej subsea data cable system will connect Bahrain with other regional countries including Oman, Qatar and the UAE.

The Al Khaleej Cable will branch off from the 21,700-kilometre-long SEA-ME-WE 6 cable, currently in development to connect Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe. Batelco through the Beyon Group is one of the major investors in the SEA-ME-WE 6 consortium.

The historic partnership between Batelco and e& was confirmed during Capacity Middle East where Batelco Chief Global Business Officer Hani Askar, and e& Carrier & Wholesale Group, Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer Nabil Baccouche signed the MoU.

Askar said: “We are delighted to take this important step by signing with e& to land the Al Khaleej cable in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with the aim of strengthening regional connectivity and constructing a digital highway that will revolutionize the lives of our esteemed customers.”

“A robust cutting-edge connectivity infrastructure is central to the development of a digital economy, and we continue to be committed to supporting the growth of Bahrain’s digital ecosystem.

“With our active participation in the SEA-ME-WE 6 and Al Khaleej Cable systems, in conjunction with our existing international infrastructure and partnerships with leading operations, such as e&, we are poised to elevate the diversity, resilience and latency of our network systems.”

Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer e& said: “We are extremely delighted to cooperate with Batelco as the exclusive landing party for the Al Khaleej cable in the UAE.

“Our expertise over the past decades in landing over 20 submarine cables will certainly provide timely deployment of world-class infrastructure as part of this strategic partnership.”

“The integration of the new submarine cable Al Khaleej into the UAE extending its reach to Bahrain and the GCC marks a ground-breaking milestone in the region’s telecommunications infrastructure. This new development enhances much needed subsea diversification of routes, paving the way for unparalleled international connectivity into the heart of the Middle East.”

The Al Khaleej Cable which will diversify routes and augment international connectivity for the region is expected to be in service by Q2 2026. – TradeArabia News Service