STC has announced the successful landing of the 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system—the longest in the world—in Bahrain, signalling a boost in the Kingdom’s international digital connectivity. The cable made landfall on June 4 near the Seef District, with the live operation witnessed by H.E. Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, and Eng. Khalid Al Osaimi, CEO of stc Bahrain. The connection to Bahrain’s ground infrastructure was completed swiftly and efficiently.
The $205m investment in the 2Africa Pearls system represents a strategic step toward reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a regional and global ICT hub. The cable’s landing is set to accelerate digital transformation across the Kingdom and the region, opening up new avenues for international investment, job creation, and innovation.
Commenting on the development, 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 emphasised 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, stated: “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.”
Stretching 45,000 km and boasting a design capacity of 180 terabits per second, the 2Africa Pearls cable system is engineered to meet soaring demand for high-speed, high-capacity connectivity. It is the only cable in the GCC designed to support the growing needs of data-intensive applications such as streaming, cloud computing and online gaming.
The infrastructure provided by the 2Africa Pearls system is expected to play a critical role in advancing emerging technologies including 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). By offering significantly increased bandwidth and low latency, the cable will empower businesses with faster communication, broader global reach, and enhanced operational efficiency. For consumers, it promises a more reliable and enriched internet experience, laying the groundwork for a smarter, more connected future.
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