Iraq and Qatar signed a contract to establish a terrestrial and submarine fiber-optic connection linking Singapore to Italy through Iraqi territory via Qatar’s Ooredoo network, Iraq’s Ministry of Communications announced on Tuesday.
The signing took place under the auspices of Iraqi Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad, who is attending MWC 26 Doha, a global telecommunications conference held from November 8 to 10 under the theme “The IQ Era,” alongside Qatar’s hosting of the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference (ITU PP-26).
Sanad also oversaw the signing of two internet transit contracts on Monday with UAE-based telecommunications group e& and Bahrain’s Alliance Networks to connect East and West through Iraq.
Qatar’s Ooredoo announced plans in 2025 to invest more than $500 million in international cable projects, including terrestrial routes linking Iraq, Oman, and Turkiye to speed up data traffic, improve network stability, and provide alternatives to disrupted maritime routes.
Iraq also signed an agreement with Qatar’s GBI in 2026 to market international internet transit capacity through the Civilizations Road Project, a roughly 2,000-kilometer fiber-optic corridor connecting the country with neighboring states through five border crossings.
