Under the agreement, which was announced at Capacity Europe 2025, Etihad Salam will serve as the primary landing and interconnection hub for the Medusa system in Saudi Arabia via Aqaba, Jordan.

According to the company, the move will provide fast, reliable and low-latency connectivity from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula, supporting hyperscale data cents, cloud providers, and digital operators. 

The company will offer terrestrial backhaul and capacity-swapping services to integrate Medusa’s network into Saudi Arabia, the GCC and Asia.

The Medusa Submarine Cable System spans 8,760 km, linking key Mediterranean countries- including Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt and offers 480 Tbps capacity.

Ethihad Salam chief wholesale and alliances officer, Amjad Arab, said: “Our partnership with Medusa underscores Salam’s commitment to positioning Saudi Arabia as a central hub for regional connectivity.

“By linking the Medusa cable to our robust infrastructure, we’re creating innovative international routes that expand our worldwide presence and meet the surging needs for digital and cloud services in the Kingdom. 

“Through this partnership, we seek to offer enriched connectivity services, experiences and bring the world closer, ultimately empowering businesses to scale and innovate in an increasingly digital landscape.”

AFR-IX CEO, Norman Albi, added: “We’re excited to collaborate with Etihad Salam, whose expertise and network complement our objective of providing secure, expansive, and high-performance connectivity from the Mediterranean outward.

“This partnership elevates reliability and coverage for carriers worldwide, driving forward digital advancement across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.”

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