Iraq signs deal for fourth submarine cable to boost internet capacity

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s Ministry of Communications signed an agreement Thursday with Qatar’s Ooredoo to deploy the country’s fourth submarine cable, a project aimed at increasing internet capacity by more than 700 terabytes.

Minister of Communications Hayam Al-Yasiri said in a statement, “The General Company for Communications and Informatics, the exclusive owner of Iraq’s telecommunications infrastructure, has signed a strategic contract with Qatar’s Ooredoo Group to install the country’s fourth submarine cable.”

The agreement, signed under the patronage of Ooredoo’s chairman, involves a 2,000-kilometer cable equipped with 24 fiber-optic pairs, running through all Gulf states. “This project aims to connect Iraq with Europe via Turkey while also linking Gulf countries to the global telecommunications network, allowing international data traffic to pass through Iraq,” Al-Yasiri said. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.

She added that the initiative is part of a broader effort to establish Iraq as a key regional transit hub for data between the Gulf, Asia, and Europe. Additional agreements will be signed to strengthen Iraq’s position as a strategic communications corridor, leveraging its geographic location as a secure land route.

“This project will not only generate state revenue but also contribute to security and economic stability by attracting major global companies and countries interested in using Iraq as a primary hub for their telecommunications,” Al-Yasiri said.