Aqaba, Aug 18 (Petra) – The Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH) Group, through its telecom arm NaiTel, on Monday announced the completion of the submarine communications cable "Coral Bridge" landing in Aqaba, following its initial landing on Saturday in Egypt’s Taba in partnership with Telecom Egypt.

The project marks the first privately owned submarine communications cable in Jordan and the first direct connection between Jordan and Egypt in more than 25 years. Stretching 15 kilometers across the Gulf of Aqaba, the cable is equipped with a large number of high-capacity fiber pairs, making it one of the fastest and most efficient digital routes in the region.

The new system enables the transfer of international data traffic at high speed and capacity to meet growing demand from artificial intelligence applications, data centers, and cloud services, while reducing latency and lowering transmission costs. It also provides alternative routes to ensure service continuity for major corporations and content providers.

The launch ceremony was attended virtually by Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Smeirat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, and Telecom Egypt CEO Mohamed Nasr. In Aqaba, the landing was overseen by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) chief commissioner Shadi Ramzi Al-Majali, Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) CEO Hussein Al-Safadi, Commander of the Royal Navy and Royal Boats Command Col. Hesham Al-Jarrah, and representatives from the maritime and telecom sectors.

Smeirat said the Coral Bridge cable is a strategic milestone and a product of close Jordanian-Egyptian cooperation, reinforced during last month’s 33rd session of the Joint Higher Committee in Amman.

He added that the project advances His Majesty King Abdullah II’s vision of making Jordan a regional hub for telecom and data, attracting large-scale digital investments, and expanding cooperation with Egypt.

He invited Egypt’s telecom minister to visit Jordan to review ongoing digital projects and explore new partnerships.

Egyptian Minister Talaat said his ministry is committed to strengthening international digital infrastructure through expanding subsea cables, terrestrial routes, and landing stations.

He described Coral Bridge as a new bridge of cooperation, the first and fastest outcome of talks held during the recent Amman meetings, and voiced hope for further joint projects in ICT benefiting both nations.

Al-Majali stressed the cable’s importance for Aqaba as a strategic digital hub linking Asia and Africa, while Safadi called it a transformative step that enhances Jordan’s digital sector and Aqaba’s position as a smart city capable of attracting high-tech investment. He also commended investor Eyad Abu Khorma for turning ambitious ideas into tangible achievements.

Telecom Egypt CEO Nasr said the proximity of Taba and Aqaba offered a strategic opportunity to establish a vital route for data flows across the Middle East and into Europe. He noted that Coral Bridge, working through Naitel’s neutral ecosystem at Aqaba Digital City, will handle vast regional traffic and channel it through Egypt’s terrestrial network to the Mediterranean.

ADH CEO Abu Khorma thanked both governments and all partners, highlighting their support as crucial to realizing the project. The Coral Bridge cable lands at ADH's open-access station inside one of the largest neutral data centers in the region, making it an integrated part of Jordan’s growing digital ecosystem.

The project underscores Jordan’s emerging role as a strategic hub for regional and international connectivity, complementing Egypt’s status as a global data crossroads. Together, the two countries aim to shape the future of digital infrastructure in the Middle East by offering faster, safer, and more cost-effective routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

//Petra// AF

18/08/2025 20:37:12