Manama, Bahrain: Batelco, part of the Beyon Group, and e& have signed an MoU for the landing of Al Khaleej Cable in the United Arab Emirates. Fully owned by Batelco, the 1,400 KM long Al Khaleej subsea data cable system, will connect Bahrain to other regional countries including Oman, Qatar and the UAE. This development aims to enhance data exchange and communication capabilities within the region.

The Al Khaleej Cable will branch off from the 21,700-kilometre-long SEA-ME-WE 6 cable, currently in development to connect Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe. Batelco through the Beyon Group is one of the major investors in the SEA-ME-WE 6 consortium.

The historic partnership between Batelco and e& was confirmed during Capacity Middle East where Batelco Chief Global Business Officer Hani Askar and e& Carrier & Wholesale Group, Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer Nabil Baccouche signed the MoU.

Batelco Chief Global Business Officer Hani Askar commented on the occasion, "We are proud to announce signing with e& to land the Al Khaleej Cable in the UAE, marking a significant milestone in enhancing connectivity across the GCC region. As the exclusive owner of this state-of-the-art Al Khaleej cable system, we are committed to providing unparalleled connectivity and a digital superhighway that will transform communication within the region. With Bahrain now directly connected to other GCC countries through this advanced infrastructure, we are ushering in a new era of seamless and efficient data exchange. This achievement reinforces our dedication to delivering cutting-edge connectivity solutions and strengthens our position as a leader in the telecommunications industry."

"Through our active participation in the SEA-ME-WE 6 and Al Khaleej Cable systems, alongside our existing international infrastructure and strategic partnerships with industry leaders like e&, we are revolutionizing the diversity, resilience, and latency of our network systems. This positions us at the forefront of connectivity innovation, empowering businesses and individuals with unparalleled speed, reliability, and seamless communication capabilities." Mr. Askar added.

Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer e& said, “We are extremely delighted to cooperate with Batelco as the exclusive landing party for the Al Khaleej cable in the UAE. Our expertise over the past decades in landing over 20 submarine cables will certainly provide timely deployment of world-class infrastructure as part of this strategic partnership.”

“The integration of the new submarine cable Al Khaleej into the UAE extending its reach to Bahrain and the GCC marks a ground-breaking milestone in the region’s telecommunications infrastructure. This new development enhances much needed subsea diversification of routes, paving the way for unparalleled international connectivity into the heart of the Middle East,” Mr. Baccouche said.

The Al Khaleej Cable which will diversify routes and augment international connectivity for the region is expected to be in service by Q2 2026.

This press release has been issued by Beyon Corporate Communications & Sustainability Department. For further information, please contact Public.Relations@beyon.com

About e& Carrier & Wholesale

As the driving force behind connectivity, e& Carrier & Wholesale stands as a vital and dynamic business unit, playing a pivotal role in e&- one of the leading technology group in the world.

With a commitment to extending its reach to all subscribers by acting as a catalyst for innovation and ensuring agility across all its solutions, e& carrier and wholesale is the largest internet, mobile and regional hub for international cable systems.

The ecosystem of Carrier & Wholesale encompasses region’s most extensive international network that links 160 international carriers with its international mobile network reaching over 800+ plus destinations.

Through a whole range of strategic partnerships and a global footprint across 16 countries and two regional offices in Europe and Asia, it offers a comprehensive range of advanced solutions for mobile operators, carriers, ISPs, wholesalers and OTTs worldwide to fulfill their ever-growing connectivity needs. This mainly includes mobile, data, voice and satellite services.

e& Carrier & and Wholesale was also globally acclaimed as the ‘Best Wholesale Provider’ for many years in a row.

To learn more about e& Carrier and Wholesale, please visit: https://www.eand.com/en/whoweare/carrier-and-wholesale/index.html.

About Batelco

Batelco, part of the Beyon Group, is the leading provider of innovative digital services and connectivity to empower people, enable businesses, and enrich society.

As a leading digital solutions provider, Batelco’s Global portfolio of digital business solutions span global connectivity, global infrastructure, internet, cloud connectivity, hosting, and carrier voice and mobility services.

With 31+ points-of-presence that are geographically distributed Batelco provides low latency to the region, MENA, and Europe. With sophisticated infrastructure solutions, Batelco offers dependable and diverse solutions to meet growing international capacity demands. Key constituents of the expansive global business portfolio include Global Zone, the carrier-neutral transit zone and region’s data hub, Manama-IX, the internet traffic exchange platform, and Batelco Global Network (BGN) terrestrial cable system.

Batelco has major infrastructure projects in the pipeline including participation in the SEA-ME-WE 6 international cable, Al Khaleej Cable the company’s first fully owned subsea cable, and a new state-of-the-art Data Centre.