Saudi Arabia seeks to replace Israel with Syria as a corridor for fiber optic cable to Greece
Saudi Arabia is moving to invest millions of dollars in a strategic project to extend fiber optic cables through Syrian territory, in order to connect the Saudi Arabia with Greece and Europe, in a clear shift from the Israeli path that was previously put on the table.
What was a purely technical project turned into a strong indicator of the shifting balance of power and alliances in the region.
Riyadh’s insistence on transmitting data through Syria, not Israel, reflects a clear Saudi desire to strengthen Damascus’s regional standing, amid an atmosphere of public tension with Israel, especially against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly described as “genocide”.
This Saudi move comes at a time when Riyadh’s relations with some of Israel’s traditional allies, led by the United Arab Emirates, are witnessing a kind of frost and competition over multiple issues in Yemen, Sudan and the Red Sea.
Since the announcement of the East-Mediterranean Data Corridor (EMC) project in 2022, Athens has sought to be Southern Europe’s gateway to data coming from the Gulf.
However, the new Saudi transformation puts Greece in a delicate position, as it seeks to attract huge Saudi investments in the fields of energy and artificial intelligence, and on the other hand, it has close ties with Israel, which it views as a confrontational ally of Türkiye and a guarantor of the US presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
According to the report, changing the course of the project could put this relationship to the test.
According to Western and regional officials, the new Saudi vision views Syria as a key hub for regional connectivity.
And it’s not just data cables, but sources are talking about ambitious projects that include high-voltage DC (HVDC) cable interconnection, and possibly in the future railways and road roads.
In a practical step that confirms this trend, the Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC) announced last February an investment of nearly $800 million in Syria’s telecommunications infrastructure, including the laying of a 4,500-kilometer fiber optic network, aimed at reconnecting Syria regionally and internationally after years of isolation.
Observers believe that this Saudi transformation didn’t come out of thin air, but is a natural product of major variables:
Changing attitude towards Israel: Saudi-US negotiations on normalization with Israel stalled after the events of October 7, 2023 and the war on Gaza, which made the passage of strategic projects through Israeli territory unacceptable popularly and officially.
Seeking alternative routes: With optical fiber becoming increasingly important for transmitting the big data needed for artificial intelligence, Gulf states are looking for safe and diverse ways to reach Europe, away from bottlenecks or geopolitical risks.
Reshaping the region: As experts say, Saudi Arabia is using its wealth and influence to support its allies and reshape the region in its favor, and integrating Syria into major projects is a clear message that Damascus is back in the Arab and regional embrace.
Despite the scale and ambition of the project, the fiber route from Saudi Arabia to Greece via Syria isn’t without obstacles.
The political situation in Syria remains complex, and the region is witnessing constant tensions, but according to Julian Raoul, a consultant for submarine cables, the EMC project is one of the most feasible projects compared to others, especially with the signing of supply contracts with Alcatel and financing agreements with Saudi and Greek banks.
Ultimately, Saudi Arabia appears to be betting on Syria as a new gateway to Europe, in a move that could redraw the map of digital and energy connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean and put an end to Israel’s dominance of strategic corridors in the region.
