Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt and Jordan launch landmark high-capacity undersea cable, connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe
In a significant milestone for digital connectivity in the Middle East, ministers from Egypt and Jordan witnessed, via videoconference, the landing of the high-capacity “Coral Bridge” submarine cable in Taba, Egypt, marking the first direct undersea link between the two countries in over 25 years.
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Amr Talaat, and Jordan’s Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Eng. Sami Samirat, participated in the ceremony, joined by officials from both countries. The Coral Bridge cable is set to play a strategic role in meeting soaring international data demands, particularly for cloud computing and artificial intelligence, by enabling seamless high-speed data transfer across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The new cable stretches 15 kilometers and utilizes state-of-the-art optical fiber technology. It forms a digital bridge between Taba on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the city of Aqaba in Jordan, where it will connect to a major regional data center. Its short length not only reduces transmission times and costs but also enhances service reliability across Egypt, Jordan, and their neighboring regions.
Dr. Talaat emphasized that Coral Bridge is a crucial addition to Egypt’s already extensive portfolio of submarine cables, which carry over 90% of data traffic between East and West. He noted that expanding landing points in the Sinai Peninsula further strengthens Egypt’s competitive position as a key international data corridor.
Highlighting the deep historical ties between the two nations, Jordanian Minister Samirat expressed optimism for future cooperation, calling the cable “a digital gateway” for Jordan and a step towards positioning both countries as regional and even global data transport hubs.
Officials from both countries noted that the project, jointly developed by Telecom Egypt and Jordanian partner NITEL, was designed to the highest technical and environmental standards. Sustainability was kept in focus throughout the process, reflecting a shared commitment to responsible digital infrastructure development.
The Coral Bridge cable is expected to accelerate economic development, stimulate innovation, and facilitate wider access to advanced digital services, benefitting businesses and communities throughout the region and beyond.