Iraq-UAE Plan $700M AI Data Cable Route
An Iraqi-UAE consortium is preparing a $700 million data cable project linking the United Arab Emirates to Turkey through Iraq, aiming to strengthen regional connectivity as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates.
The project, known as WorldLink, will combine a subsea cable from the UAE to Iraq’s Faw peninsula with a land route running north to the Turkish border. It is being backed by Tech 964, DIL Technologies and UAE-based Breeze Investments.
Planned as a privately funded five-year rollout, the system is designed to ease congestion on existing data routes and provide a faster alternative to traditional connections passing through the Suez Canal.
The initiative reflects intensifying regional competition to become digital and AI infrastructure hubs, with Gulf states investing heavily in data centers and connectivity.
WorldLink follows closely on the announcement of a Saudi-backed fibre-optic network in Syria, part of a broader push to position the region as a strategic data bridge between Asia and Europe.