Grid Telecom and Saudi Electricity-owned Dawiyat Integrated will build a subsea cable system connecting Greece to Saudi Arabia.
Grid Telecom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, announced the plans this week.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed July 23, promises the build of a cable connecting Crete, Saudi Arabia, and other major destinations across the Arabian peninsula and Europe.
Other specifications of the cable and timelines have not been shared.
The companies said the partnership would provide synergies for additional projects, such as hyperscale-ready data centers.
“Our partnership with Grid Telecom in a consortium to build a new cable system will increase our network’s resiliency and reach. Leveraging on the strategic position of Crete, it will create a new cable system, interconnecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Greece and the Balkans, providing a new entry point to Europe, “ said Wael Ali Al-Ghamdi, CEO of Dawiyat Integrated.
Kostas Agathakis, chairman of Grid Telecom, said: “In this framework, our collaboration with Dawiyat Integrated in building a new cable system, will support the implementation of a new corridor between Greece and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it will enhance the strategic role of Crete as a regional open-access interconnection node in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans”.
Telecommunications firm Dawiyat Integrated is based in Saudi Arabia and was established in 2009. The company also offers colocation services in the country.
Founded in January 2019, Greek telco Grid Telecom’s network includes more than 4,000km of fiber terrestrial and subsea cables across Greece.
Grid Telecom announced plans to build a subsea system connecting Israel and Greece last year in a deal with Tamares Telecom.
The company is also planning to build a cable landing station on the Greek island of Crete. There are a number of existing landing points on the island and it is currently or due to be connected to more than 10 cables in the coming years.
Chania is currently the landing point for the AAE-1, Blue, MedNautilus, SeaMeWe-3, and Silphium cables.
Duba, Neom, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia are landing points for the IEX, PEACE, SeaMeWe-3, SeaMeWe-4, FLAG, AAE-1, and 2Africa cables.
