stc successfully lands the first Bahraini submarine cable system; 2Africa Pearls in Bahrain

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A mega milestone in the Kingdom's digital transformation and global connectivity

MANAMA, Bahrain, July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking a significant milestone in global connectivity, stc has announced that the 2Africa cable system - Pearls, the world's longest submarine cable, has successfully landed in Bahrain. With a US$ 205 million investments in 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system, this massive lift up in international connectivity toward Bahrain will reinforce the Kingdom as a powerful ICT hub, speeding up digital transformation across connected countries, attracting significant international investment opportunities, creating jobs and boosting innovation across sectors.

The live landing of 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system next to Seef District on 4^th of June was witnessed by H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Telecommunications and Eng. Khalid Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer, stc Bahrain. The landing operation, which involved connecting the on-board cable to the ground infrastructure, was completed in record time.

On this occasion, H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, expressed pride in Bahrain's advanced telecommunications infrastructure, noting that this achievement reflects the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening its position as a regional and global digital hub, in line with the goals of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. He emphasized the Ministry's dedication to fostering fruitful partnerships with the private sector, especially the strategic collaboration with stc Bahrain, which stands as a successful model of public-private synergy in advancing digital transformation. H.E. added that the landing of the 2Africa Pearls submarine cable in Bahrain represents a qualitative leap that will enhance the Kingdom's global connectivity, support its digital economy, and open new horizons for innovation and investment.

Eng. Khalid Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer of stc Bahrain said, "We are thrilled to land the 2Africa Pearls submarine cable to Bahrain, this will increase Bahrain's current connectivity capacity by 10x, further scalable to accommodate future growth. This is in line with our commitment to advancing Bahrain's position as a leading communications and digital hub for the region, directly aligning with Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030, and its goals for the ICT sector to create a diversified, knowledge-based economy."

Spanning 45,000 km with a massive 180 terabits per second design capacity, the 2Africa submarine cable will enable faster adoption of new technologies and digital solutions. 2Africa Pearls is the only cable in GCC capable of meeting the growing demands of data-heavy applications, including content streaming, cloud computing, and gaming.

With the landing of 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system, the cable's massive capacity and low latency will serve as a catalyst for innovation and growth in emerging technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT, providing the essential infrastructure needed to support data-intensive applications and services. The increased connectivity will empower businesses with improved communication, access to global markets, and enhanced operational efficiency. Moreover, for consumers, this transformative project will provide reliable internet services and richer digital experience.

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SOURCE stc