The Gulf region is significantly increasing investment in digital infrastructure, particularly subsea and terrestrial fiber optic cables, to support its burgeoning AI and cloud computing sectors. This surge in investment is partly driven by geopolitical risks in the Red Sea, which have disrupted traditional data routes used by tech giants like Meta and Google. Ooredoo Group, a Qatari telecommunications company, is a key player, investing over $500 million in its Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) system, a major subsea cable project designed to bypass the Suez Canal and connect Asia to Europe via routes through Oman, Iraq, and Turkey. AI
IMPACT Accelerates AI development in the Gulf by securing critical data connectivity, mitigating risks from geopolitical instability.
RANK_REASON Major investment in digital infrastructure by multiple countries and a key company to support AI ambitions, driven by geopolitical factors. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.7]
- Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Fibre in the Gulf (FIG)
- Iraq
- Meta
- Oman
- Ooredoo Group
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Strait of Hormuz
- Suez Canal
- Turkey
- UAE
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