An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is planning to build a $700 million subsea and overland data cable linking the United Arab Emirates to Turkey via Iraq, Reuters reported, in the latest sign of intensifying competition in the Gulf over digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence connectivity.
According to Reuters the project, branded “WorldLink,” would involve an undersea cable running from the UAE to Iraq’s Faw peninsula on the Gulf, before continuing overland north to the Turkish border.
Ali El Akabi, the head of Iraq’s Tech 964, one of three consortium members, told Reuters that the initiative would be privately funded and implemented in phases over five years.
The planned route would position Turkey as a key gateway for data traffic between the Gulf and Europe, potentially strengthening its role as a regional connectivity hub at a time when demand for AI infrastructure and data centers is surging.
El Akabi said the project aims to ease congestion and reduce transit times compared to traditional routes that pass through the Suez Canal. Besides Iraq’s Tech 964, the consortium includes Iraq-Kurdish DIL Technologies and UAE-based Breeze Investments.
In a statement cited by Reuters, Nayef Al Ameri, chairman of Breeze Investments, said growing global adoption of artificial intelligence makes infrastructure readiness essential. He described WorldLink as designed to provide fast and reliable connectivity across the region.
The initiative comes shortly after Saudi Arabia and Syria announced plans on February 7 for a separate fiber-optic network project, called “SilkLink,” as part of a broader investment package reportedly worth around $1 billion to rehabilitate Syria’s infrastructure and position it as a data corridor between Asia and Europe.
Responding to Reuters’ request for comment on the UAE-Iraq project, Syria’s telecommunications ministry said additional infrastructure investment improves route diversity and resilience.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both seeking to capitalize on growing regional demand for digital connectivity and to establish themselves as hubs for AI-related infrastructure, including data centers, amid broader economic and geopolitical competition.
For Iraq, the project aligns with efforts to rebrand itself as a stable transit corridor after decades of conflict.
In 2023 Baghdad unveiled a $17 billion “Development Road” initiative aimed at linking the Faw port to Turkey by rail and road — a corridor that could now also gain strategic importance in digital connectivity.
If completed, the WorldLink cable would further integrate Turkey into emerging Gulf-Europe data routes, reinforcing Ankara’s ambitions to serve as a bridge between Asia and Europe, not only in trade and energy but also in digital infrastructure.