Meta consortium pauses 2Africa Pearls cable work amid Iran‑linked conflict

Construction on the 2Africa Pearls segment of Meta’s 45,000‑kilometer subsea cable network has been put on hold because of security risks in the Persian Gulf tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The Pearls branch, led by a Meta‑backed consortium that includes Saudi Telecom’s Center3, was due to go live later this year and connect landing points in Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia.

Alcatel Submarine Networks, the French state‑owned contractor installing the system, has declared force majeure and stopped work in the region, citing unsafe operating conditions. Its installation vessel Ile De Batz is currently laid up near Dammam, Saudi Arabia. While much of the cable is already on the seafloor, several landing stations remain unfinished. The delay, following earlier geopolitical setbacks on other 2Africa segments, underlines how exposed global subsea internet infrastructure is to regional conflict, with knock‑on effects for connectivity, service quality and economic development across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.