UAE-Iraq Consortium Unveils $700 Million WorldLink Data Cable Project to Turkey
An Iraqi-Emirati consortium has announced plans to develop a $700 million subsea and terrestrial data cable, branded WorldLink, that will link the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq. This initiative comes just over a week after Saudi Arabia and Syria revealed a separate fiber-optic project, highlighting intensifying competition among Gulf neighbors to enhance regional connectivity and establish hubs for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Project Details and Strategic Goals
According to Ali El Ekabi, head of Iraq's Tech 964 and one of the consortium's three members, the WorldLink cable will comprise an undersea segment from Fujairah in the UAE to Iraq's Faw peninsula on the Gulf. From there, it will run overland north to the Turkish border. El Ekabi, son of Iraqi real estate billionaire Namir El Ekabi, stated that the project is privately funded and will be rolled out in phases over the next five years.
The primary aims of the WorldLink project are to ease network congestion and reduce transit times compared to traditional routes that pass through the Suez Canal. This move is part of a broader effort by Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to tap into growing demand for connectivity in the region and position themselves as key players in AI infrastructure, such as data centers.
Regional Competition and Infrastructure Developments
This announcement follows closely on the heels of a Saudi-backed initiative in Syria. On February 7, Saudi Arabia and Syria announced plans to establish a fiber-optic network, dubbed SilkLink, as part of a wider investment package worth approximately $1 billion. SilkLink aims to rehabilitate Syria's infrastructure and position it as a data route between Asia and Europe.
In response to inquiries about the UAE-Iraq project, the Syrian telecoms ministry issued a statement emphasizing that additional infrastructure investment improves route diversity and resilience for all stakeholders. The ministry added, "SilkLink is designed to deliver low-latency and high-availability ... and we expect to be highly competitive on both performance and resilience."
Consortium Members and Broader Context
Besides Tech 964, the WorldLink consortium includes Iraq-Kurdish DIL Technologies and UAE-based Breeze Investments. This project aligns with Iraq's broader strategy to market itself as a stable transit corridor after decades of conflict. In 2023, Iraq launched a $17 billion "Development Road" rail-and-road plan to connect Faw to Turkey, further supporting its ambitions as a key logistical hub.
The Emirati and Saudi governments did not respond to requests for comment on these developments. However, the simultaneous announcements underscore the geopolitical and economic competition across the region, as nations vie to capitalize on the digital economy and AI-driven growth.
