center3, owned by stc group and Alcatel Submarine Networks to connect Saudi Arabia with Europe by building the EMC West subsea and terrestrial data cables

Riyadh, 23 May 2023: center3, owned by stc group, on behalf of the consortium partners of EMC Subsea Cable Company Ltd (EMC Company) and Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), the leader in the manufacturing and installation of submarine optical systems, announced the signing of the Supplier’s Contract for the construction of two subsea and terrestrial data cables (EMC West) that will connect Saudi Arabia with Europe. The second phase of the EMC System (EMC Global) that will join Saudi Arabia with Asia is being finalized and announced soon.

The EMC project enables KSA, Greece, and Cyprus to leverage their geographic position. It delivers a much-needed new data corridor, positioning the three countries at the epicenter of a digital connectivity infrastructure, which will become a cornerstone of the digital transformation era.

The EMC cable is designed, from its inception, to realize KSA’s Vision 2030 and Greece 2.0 by transforming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into a “Digital Hub” that connects Asia with Europe and Africa and positioning Greece and Cyprus as “European Union’s East Data Gateway.”

ASN will begin to construct EMC West, linking Haql (Saudi Arabia) with Genova (Italy) and Marseille (France) via Cyprus and Greece. The two cables – consisting of multiple Fiber Pairs – will have branches in Cyprus, Crete, and Athens. The EMC system is expected to operate in Q1 2026 (RFS date).

The EMC consortium partners expressed their gratitude and appreciation to all stakeholders. They congratulated their teams and the related Ministries for facilitating the implementation of this ground-breaking and high-profile project.