Feed: All Latest | The Gulf’s AI Boom Has an Undersea Cable Problem by Chris Hamill-Stewart

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The Gulf’s push to become an AI powerhouse is being hampered by its reliance on a few vulnerable undersea cables that carry the majority of international data through risky chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. As hyperscalers demand the same high‑resilience, low‑latency connectivity they enjoy on transatlantic routes, any cable cut—like the 2025 Red Sea incident that cost $3.5 billion—could cripple the region’s emerging compute‑export model. Gulf nations are therefore planning a multilayered diversification strategy that includes new terrestrial fiber corridors across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Jordan and the Levant, subsea‑terrestrial hybrids bypassing Egyptian chokepoints, and northern overland routes through Iraq, Syria and Turkey, alongside satellite backup. Projects such as Saudi‑backed SilkLink and the Iraq‑UAE WorldLink aim to create additional east‑west pathways, reducing dependence on maritime routes, while satellite links provide redundancy despite lower bandwidth. Ultimately, the Gulf is redefining cross‑border connectivity from a mere data conduit to a strategic asset whose resilience will shape the future of AI‑driven economies.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/the-gulfs-ai-boom-has-an-undersea-cable-problem/

#SaudiArabia #UAE #StraitofHormuz #RedSea #business_artificialintelligence

#Somaliland’s first ambassador, @AmbMohamedHagi, has arrived in #Jerusalem, deepening ties that could reshape #RedSea #geopolitics & unsettle the #Egypt-#Eritrea axis opposing Somaliland’s #recognition & #Israel’s growing role in the #HornOfAfrica.

https://saxafimedia.com/ambassador-israel-shocks-egypt-eritrea-axis/

#Egypt keeps issuing #condemnations. #Somaliland keeps building alliances, expanding #diplomacy, & increasing its strategic value in #RedSea. 1 side is adapting to the future. The other is panicking. Ha Karaamo seegina, Habaar laygu kari waaye.

https://saxafimedia.com/egypt-war-on-somaliland-failing-cairo-knows/

#Ethiopia is reportedly reassessing #Somaliland’s strategic importance as #RedSea rivalries deepen & #maritime access pressures grow, reviving debate over whether #AddisAbaba could eventually #RecognizeSomaliland following #Israel’s historic move.

https://saxafimedia.com/ethiopia-reassesses-somaliland-red-sea-intensify/

@IsraeAfricaOrg CEO @MSF2018 says #Somaliland is #Israel’s true partner, praising its #democracy, #resilience & strategic #RedSea location while suggesting more countries may soon #RecognizeSomaliland. “At least 3 countries that are seriously considering it”

https://saxafimedia.com/israel-africa-relations-recognize-somaliland/

Here’s How Iran Could Respond to Renewed U.S.-Israeli Strikes

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/middleeast/iran-war-retaliation-options.html

@LordAshcroft says #Somaliland has become one of the #HornOfAfrica’s rare #democratic & #security success stories, urging #Britain & #Western allies to deepen engagement with the strategically vital territory along the #RedSea #corridor.

https://saxafimedia.com/lord-ashcroft-somaliland-deserves-britain-west/

Iran is threatening undersea cables. The world’s ‘digital chokepoints’ have never been more vulnerable

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2026/05/18/313573/iran-is-threatening-undersea-cables-the-worlds-digital-chokepoints-have-never-been-more-vulnerable/

🗨️ Meloni says, “ #italy is ready to do its part to contribute, as soon as the conditions are right, to the safety of #navigation, building on what has already been done in the #RedSea, the #IndianOcean with #EU ’s Aspides and Atalanta missions”

What she actually means by this is establishing European control mechanisms to secure #markets for #US conglomerates and to continue exploiting peoples and the environment

She's a #warcriminal and belongs in the dock!

📰 MEMO

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260517-hormuz-strait-should-be-reopened-without-tolls-or-restrictions-stresses-italian-premier/

At 35, the #RepublicOfSomaliland is shifting from seeking #recognition to asserting strategic global influence. From #Berberaport & #Ethiopia deal to #Israel’s recognition, #Somaliland is emerging as a key #RedSea & #HornOfAfrica actor impossible to ignore.

https://saxafimedia.com/somaliland-35-seeking-recognition-presence/