Iraq signs deal with Ooredoo Group to land FIG subsea cable

Iraq signs deal with Ooredoo Group to land FIG subsea cable

Hiyam Al-Yasiri, Iraq's Minister of Communications, oversees the signing of a contract between Qatar’s Ooredoo Group and the General Company for Communications and Information, a division of the Ministry of Communications to land the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable in the country

Iraq is set to boost its international connectivity with the landing of the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable, following a new agreement between the country’s Ministry of Communications and Qatar’s Ooredoo Group.

The FIG cable project, launched last month, plans to link seven countries across the Middle East, including Iraq, with an expected total capacity of up to 720 Tbps.

Hiyam Al-Yasiri, the Iraqi Minister of Communications, told the Iraqi News Agency that the project would provide a major boost to the country’s internet connectivity.

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“These projects contribute to maximising state revenues, in addition to achieving security and economic stability by attracting major international companies and countries wishing to use Iraq as a major hub for their communications.”

The FIG cable, unveiled during Capacity Middle East 2025, is expected to be completed by 2027.

A 2,000-kilometre cable containing 24 pairs of optical fibre is set to connect Iraq with Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, providing low-latency services for hyperscalers, businesses, data centres, and telecom operators.

Minister Al-Yasiri said the FIG will become the fourth subsea cable landed in Iraq, with additional contracts planned beyond the one signed with Qatari Ooredoo Group to “strengthen Iraq's position as a strategic regional corridor”.

Nasser bin Hamad Nasser Al Thani, CEO of Qatari Ooredoo Group, said: “This agreement reflects the company's commitment to developing its services and its great confidence in the Iraqi market.

“Ooredoo Group has long-term investments in Iraq, both in the telecommunications sector and submarine cables, with future plans for new projects.”

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