Ooredoo Oman, a company of the Ooredoo Group, has signed an agreement for the landing of the 2Africa Cable System in Barka and Salalah. This agreement marks the landing of the longest submarine cable in the Sultanate of Oman to date.
The 2Africa Cable System, spanning 45,000 km, will be the world’s largest submarine cable system. Once completed, it will impact over 3 billion people in 33 countries across three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. The 2Africa consortium is composed of Bayobab, center3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC, while Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for the manufacturing and installation of the cable.
Bassam Yousef Al Ibrahim, CEO of Ooredoo Oman, emphasized the importance of the landing agreements for 2Africa, stating, “Having previously landed SMW-5 and TGN Gulf in Oman, the landing of the 2Africa cable represents another step in our vision to be the neutral partner of choice for landing submarine cable systems and support Ooredoo in becoming a truly global connectivity player in the years ahead. Expanding our regional and international reach is a key focus for Ooredoo and a core objective of our strategy.”
The selected landing gateways for these landings are Salalah, emerging as a significant new submarine cable landing hub in the southern part of Oman, and Barka, located in Muscat, the capital. Ooredoo Oman will undertake the development of entirely new landing infrastructure for both Barka and Salalah, with a commitment to its maintenance in the coming decades. This new infrastructure will be unlike any other submarine cable system currently landing in Oman, ensuring robust connectivity and access for all operators in the country.
Najib Khan, Group Ooredoo’s Director of Commercial Services, said, “Navigating the complex web of global connectivity requires innovative solutions. The landing of the 2Africa Cable System in Oman not only strengthens our commitment to providing robust connectivity but also positions Ooredoo as a leading player in the global telecommunications landscape, ready to meet the changing needs of our customers.”
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo is an international communications company operating across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Serving consumers and businesses in 10 countries, Ooredoo offers a leading data experience through a wide range of content and services over its data-centric mobile and fixed networks.
Ooredoo generated revenues of QAR 23 billion as of December 31, 2022. Its shares are listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.