New AI-ready submarine infrastructure strengthens the UAE’s position as a global data hub.
Dubai, UAE, February, 2026: du, a leading telecom and digital services provider, and Datawave Networks Limited, a Cyprus-based independent subsea infrastructure provider, today announced their strategic partnership to land and invest in the Singapore-India-Gulf (SING) submarine cable system in the UAE. This next-generation subsea fibre optic network will deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity linking the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The SING cable system will connect six strategic locations across the region, landing in Kalba, UAE; Muscat, Oman; Mumbai and Chennai, India; Kedah, Malaysia; and Singapore. SING will help create a diversified East-West digital pathway by establishing its UAE landing point at du’s cable landing station reducing dependence on traditional subsea routes such as the Red Sea corridor, significantly enhancing route diversity and network resilience for global data traffic.
Karim Benkirane, Chief Commercial Officer at du, said: “The SING submarine cable reinforces the UAE’s role as a global hub for data, cloud, and artificial intelligence. Our partnership delivers the scale, performance, and reliability required to support hyperscalers, AI innovators, and enterprises by creating a resilient alternative East-West connectivity corridor as the UAE and the region accelerate their digital ambitions.”
The partnership addresses the UAE’s emergence as a premier destination for AI-driven innovation, advanced compute infrastructure, and global cloud expansion, which has driven exponential growth in international bandwidth and low-latency connectivity requirements. Designed with scalability at its core, SING will provide the high-capacity performance essential for AI model training, real-time inference, and next-generation digital services. The system’s flexible architecture enables hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprises to efficiently scale capacity as AI adoption accelerates across the UAE, Gulf region, India, and Southeast Asia.
Mark Wickham, CEO at Datawave said: ” The connection of SING to the UAE underscores the country’s strategic importance and its influence in the global AI and datacentre sectors. du’s commitment to advanced infrastructure aligns with our goals for SING, and we are therefore delighted to partner to build a strong and trusted subsea network addressing the future global digital needs of the region.
du’s strategic infrastructure investment reinforces the UAE’s position as a global interconnection hub, providing enterprise and international wholesale customers with enhanced connectivity options and improved service diversity. The SING system will serve as a critical transit route between Middle Eastern and Asian markets, offering both small and large bandwidth requirements through comprehensive end-to-end connectivity solutions spanning the next 15-20 years.
About du:
du adds life to life with a comprehensive portfolio of mobile, fixed, broadband, entertainment services, and fintech solutions. Through a digital-first approach powered by ultra-reliable fiber and 5G technology, du delivers bespoke solutions leveraging cloud computing, AI-driven analytics, advanced cybersecurity, and IoT integration. As a trusted digital telco enabler spearheading the UAE’s digital transformation, we collaborate with a dynamic partner ecosystem to propel industries and society toward operational excellence, shaping a more connected and digitally advanced future across the region.
