Ooredoo Group, an international communications provider operating across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, has signed a Landing Party Agreement with Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC), to land the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable in Iraq, establishing the country as a vital transit hub for global data traffic between Asia and Europe.
In a press release, Ooredoo revealed that the FIG subsea cable is the largest ever built in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, connecting all Gulf countries and beyond in a single, high-capacity loop. With an unprecedented 720 Tbps of capacity across 24 fibre pairs, it surpasses the combined capacity of all existing and planned Gulf cables. The service is expected to be ready in Q4 2027.
“This agreement is another step forward in the rollout of FIG, advancing Iraq’s digital infrastructure and enhancing its role in global data connectivity,” said Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Bin Nasser Al Thani, Group Regional CEO – Middle East, Ooredoo, adding, “As demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity grows, Iraq is well-positioned to serve as a strategic hub, supporting innovation, investment, and long-term economic growth.”
“Iraq’s strategic location makes it an ideal hub for regional and international data traffic, and the landing of the FIG cable system marks a major step toward realizing a more connected future,” said H.E. Dr. Hayam Al Yasiri, the Iraqi Minister of Communications, emphasizing the national importance of the partnership. “This initiative strengthens Iraq’s role as a key transit point for global data while accelerating advancements in hyperscaler expansions, AI, Cloud, and IoT.”
Najib Khan, Group Chief Business Services Officer, Ooredoo, said, “FIG represents a new era for digital infrastructure in the region and Iraq is at the heart of this transformation. By delivering cutting-edge subsea capacity, we are ensuring that our customers benefit from the highest levels of network reliability, efficiency, and performance, supporting Iraq’s digital ambitions and economic progress.”
According to Data Bridge Market Research, the Iraq data center market is expected to reach the value of US$ 1,021.73 million by 2029, at a Compounded Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.3 percent during the forecast period. As Iraq continues to strengthen its digital infrastructure, FIG will deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity to support the growing demands of businesses, hyperscalers, data centres, and telecom operators.
