An Emirati consortium has announced plans to establish WorldLink, a communications infrastructure project worth approximately $700 million, which will connect the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq. This announcement comes shortly after Saudi Arabia unveiled SilkLink, valued at about $1 billion, aimed to rehabilitate Syria’s communications infrastructure and transform the country into a terrestrial data corridor between Asia and Europe. The two projects illustrate the Gulf states’ growing efforts to position themselves as regional and global connectivity hubs, as part of the broader competition over AI infrastructure, data centers, and economic-geopolitical influence.
Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates has consolidated its status as the Middle East’s most central and advanced hub for global data connectivity. Its advantage rests on a combination of an exceptionally high density of submarine communications cables—some of the largest and most important in the world—an advanced system of data centers and cloud services, and stable, internationally friendly regulation. In practice, it is no longer merely a regional “transit station” but an integral component of the global internet infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia, by contrast, is in the middle of trying to close the gap with its neighbor and establish itself as a leading regional digital hub. Under Vision 2030, the kingdom is investing significant resources in deploying fiber optics across its territory, building data centers, and leading terrestrial connectivity projects. Its relative advantage is linked to the scale of its domestic market and the growing internal demand for cloud services, AI, and digital content. The kingdom views data connectivity as an element of digital sovereignty and a broader industrial policy.
In addition, regional connections are also being advanced with the aim of strengthening communications capacity in the Gulf. One of the most prominent is the Al-Khaleej submarine communications cable. The cable will “bypass” Saudi Arabia and connect the United Arab Emirates with Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.
These projects reflect a clear regional trend: Competition among Gulf states for control over future data routes is not merely a technological matter but part of a broader struggle over strategic positioning, economic influence, and leadership in the digital and AI era. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are competing to establish themselves as regional hubs, attract global cloud companies, and control data traffic between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Yet unrestrained competition could lead to duplication and fragmentation, while coordination—even if partial—would turn the entire Gulf into one of the world’s most important digital-strategic corridors
An Emirati consortium has announced plans to establish WorldLink, a communications infrastructure project worth approximately $700 million, which will connect the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq. This announcement comes shortly after Saudi Arabia unveiled SilkLink, valued at about $1 billion, aimed to rehabilitate Syria’s communications infrastructure and transform the country into a terrestrial data corridor between Asia and Europe. The two projects illustrate the Gulf states’ growing efforts to position themselves as regional and global connectivity hubs, as part of the broader competition over AI infrastructure, data centers, and economic-geopolitical influence.
Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates has consolidated its status as the Middle East’s most central and advanced hub for global data connectivity. Its advantage rests on a combination of an exceptionally high density of submarine communications cables—some of the largest and most important in the world—an advanced system of data centers and cloud services, and stable, internationally friendly regulation. In practice, it is no longer merely a regional “transit station” but an integral component of the global internet infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia, by contrast, is in the middle of trying to close the gap with its neighbor and establish itself as a leading regional digital hub. Under Vision 2030, the kingdom is investing significant resources in deploying fiber optics across its territory, building data centers, and leading terrestrial connectivity projects. Its relative advantage is linked to the scale of its domestic market and the growing internal demand for cloud services, AI, and digital content. The kingdom views data connectivity as an element of digital sovereignty and a broader industrial policy.
In addition, regional connections are also being advanced with the aim of strengthening communications capacity in the Gulf. One of the most prominent is the Al-Khaleej submarine communications cable. The cable will “bypass” Saudi Arabia and connect the United Arab Emirates with Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.
These projects reflect a clear regional trend: Competition among Gulf states for control over future data routes is not merely a technological matter but part of a broader struggle over strategic positioning, economic influence, and leadership in the digital and AI era. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are competing to establish themselves as regional hubs, attract global cloud companies, and control data traffic between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Yet unrestrained competition could lead to duplication and fragmentation, while coordination—even if partial—would turn the entire Gulf into one of the world’s most important digital-strategic corridors