In a landmark move to advance global connectivity, a consortium of four powerful subsea cable operators – Zain Omantel International (ZOI), PCCW Global, Sparkle, and Telecom Egypt – have signed an MoU to collaborate on the construction of the Asia-Africa-Europe-2 (AAE-2) subsea cable system.

A next-generation subsea digital link, AAE-2 will be linking Asia, Africa and European continent, the project aims to establish a robust next-generation subsea digital link connecting Hong Kong and Singapore to Italy traversing secure and high-capacity terrestrial corridors across Thailand, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt.

It is planned to strategically deliver unprecedented capacity and foster seamless, reliable connectivity across the three continents, it added.

On the mega initiative, Zain Omantel International CEO Sohail Qadir said: “As the international gateway for the Middle East, we are uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe, making us a strategic enabler of next-generation connectivity.”

“AAE-2 reflects our long-term vision to connect continents and digital ecosystems through resilient and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Our cooperation brings together advanced infrastructure, diverse terrestrial routes and AI-ready capacity. AAE-2 will strengthen global traffic flows, empower emerging markets and unlock new avenues for economic growth across the region and beyond,” he stated.