Center3 and stc Bahrain Partner to Launch High-Capacity Terrestrial Interconnection
center3, a prominent digital infrastructure provider in the Middle East, has partnered with stc Bahrain to create a new terrestrial interconnection. This link will connect the 2Africa Pearls cable landing station and data center in Bahrain with all center3 cable landing stations in Saudi Arabia, along with its extensive data center network.
The route enables smooth terrestrial connectivity from Bahrain to strategic Red Sea locations such as Jeddah, Yanbu, Duba, and Haql. Additionally, it connects to center3’s carrier-neutral data centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. Customers will gain a high-capacity and resilient pathway for onward connectivity to Asia, Africa, and Europe via center3’s integrated subsea systems, including 2Africa, the Saudi Vision Cable (SVC), IEX, and future northern routes.
Fahad AlHajeri, CEO of center3, said, “This partnership represents a step forward in our mission to create an integrated, secure, and low-latency digital infrastructure platform across the region.”
Enhancing Regional Connectivity and Capacity
According to Khalid Al-Osaimi, CEO of stc Bahrain, “By leveraging our regional assets and stc Bahrain’s capabilities, we are enabling customers to interconnect between key landing points and data centers across Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, without relying on congested maritime routes.”
The terrestrial network is built on fully protected, diverse, and scalable high-capacity fiber routes. This design meets the needs of hyperscalers, carriers, OTT platforms, enterprises, and other ecosystem stakeholders. Furthermore, it supports the shared goal of positioning Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as major East-West interconnection hubs for the Middle East.
Building Future Infrastructure
The Bahrain data center, now under construction and set for completion in late 2025, will initially provide 9.6MW of ICT capacity. It is designed to scale up to 60MW, making it a critical node in stc Group’s growing regional platform. Direct integration with the 2Africa Pearls cable system and the broader center3 ecosystem will ensure greater speed, reliability, and reach for customers worldwide.
