An Iraqi-Emirati consortium has unveiled plans for a $700 million subsea and terrestrial data cable connecting the United Arab Emirates to Turkey through Iraq, marking the latest effort by Gulf states to expand regional digital infrastructure.
The project, branded WorldLink, would begin with an undersea cable running from Fujairah in the UAE to Iraq’s Faw peninsula on the Gulf. From there, the cable would extend overland across Iraq to the Turkish border, creating a new data corridor between Asia and Europe.
Ali El Ekabi, head of Iraqi technology firm Tech 964 and one of the three consortium members, said the initiative would be privately funded and is expected to take four to five years to complete. He said the network would target hyperscalers, international carriers and artificial intelligence applications seeking faster and more reliable connectivity.
The plan comes just over a week after Saudi Arabia and Syria announced a Saudi-backed fibre-optic project as part of a broader investment package aimed at rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure and positioning it as a digital transit route. Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and the UAE are competing to capture rising demand for data connectivity and attract investment in data centres as artificial intelligence and cloud computing expand across the region.
El Ekabi said the WorldLink cable is designed to ease congestion on existing east-west routes and reduce transit times compared with data paths that pass through the Suez Canal. By offering an alternative land-sea connection, the consortium hopes to provide greater redundancy and resilience for global data flows.
In addition to Tech 964, the project’s backers include Iraq-Kurdish firm DIL Technologies and UAE-based Breeze Investments. El Ekabi is the son of Iraqi real estate billionaire Namir El Ekabi.
The UAE’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Iraq has been seeking to reposition itself as a stable transit corridor after decades of conflict and political instability. In 2023, Baghdad launched a $17 billion “Development Road” project aimed at linking the Faw peninsula to Turkey through a network of railways and highways. The proposed data cable would complement that strategy by adding digital infrastructure to Iraq’s broader transport ambitions.
If completed, WorldLink would add to a growing web of regional fibre and subsea networks that aim to capitalise on the Middle East’s geographic position between Europe and Asia. Backers say the route could strengthen Iraq’s role in global connectivity while deepening economic ties between the Gulf and Turkey.
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