As tech behemoths Meta and Google delay subsea cable projects through the Red Sea amid rising security risks, many of the Gulf’s tech players are ramping up investment in the data highways needed to support the region’s rapidly expanding AI and cloud ambitions.
While geopolitical tensions are making traditional Europe—Asia routes through the Red Sea increasingly difficult to build and maintain, countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are pouring billions into alternative subsea and terrestrial fiber routes in a bid to ensure that their ambitious plans to become AI powerhouses are not derailed.
