
Stc successfully lands the first Bahraini submarine cable system; 2Africa Pearls in Bahrain
The live landing of 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system next to Seef District on 4th of June was witnessed by H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Telecommunications and Eng. Khalid Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer, stc Bahrain. The landing operation, which involved connecting the on-board cable to the ground infrastructure, was completed in record time.
On this occasion, 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 emphasized 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 said, '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.'
Spanning 45,000 km with a massive 180 terabits per second design capacity, the 2Africa submarine cable will enable faster adoption of new technologies and digital solutions. 2Africa Pearls is the only cable in GCC capable of meeting the growing demands of data-heavy applications, including content streaming, cloud computing, and gaming.
With the landing of 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system, the cable's massive capacity and low latency will serve as a catalyst for innovation and growth in emerging technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT, providing the essential infrastructure needed to support data-intensive applications and services. The increased connectivity will empower businesses with improved communication, access to global markets, and enhanced operational efficiency. Moreover, for consumers, this transformative project will provide reliable internet services and richer digital experience.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Tribune
8 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Markets shrug off Trump tariff threat against EU
China's exports rose more than expected in June, official data showed yesterday, after Washington and Beijing agreed a tentative deal to lower swingeing tariffs on each other. Data from the General Administration of Customs said exports climbed 5.8% year-onyear, topping the five percent forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Imports rose 1.1%, higher the 0.3% gain predicted and marking the first growth this year. China's exports reached record highs in 2024 -- a lifeline to its slowing economy as pressures elsewhere mounted. Beijing's efforts to sustain growth have been hit by a bruising trade war with the United States, driven by President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, though the two de-escalated their spat with a framework for a deal at talks in London last month. Monday's customs figures showed Chinese exports to the United States surged 32.4% in June, having fallen the month before, according to an AFP calculation based on official data. "Growth in export values rebounded somewhat last month, helped by the US-China trade truce," Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said. "But tariffs are likely to remain high and Chinese manufacturers face growing constraints on their ability to rapidly expand global market share by slashing prices," Huang said. "We therefore expect export growth to slow over the coming quarters, weighing on economic growth," she added. Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said the figures showed Chinese firms were still "frontloading" exports to the United States -- accelerating shipments in anticipation of further tariffs to come.


Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Joins Digital Superhighway : Seef Becomes Tech Gateway
TDT | Manama • Cable lands near Seef • Connectivity capacity boosted tenfold • Supports Economic Vision 2030 Bahrain has officially joined the world's elite digital infrastructure network following the landing of the 2Africa Pearls submarine cable system near Seef District on June 4, marking a transformative leap in global connectivity and digital capacity for the Kingdom. Global Gateway With an investment of US$205 million, the arrival of the world's longest submarine cable places Bahrain at the centre of a digital superhighway stretching 45,000 kilometres. The cable's high-speed data capacity is set to reinforce Bahrain's position as a digital hub and significantly boost its potential to attract tech-driven investment, innovation, and high-skilled jobs. The cable landing ceremony was attended by His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, and Khalid Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer of stc Bahrain. Officials confirmed the ground connection process was completed in record time. Strategic Synergy Dr. Shaikh Abdullah highlighted the move as a key milestone in achieving Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. He stressed the importance of public-private partnerships, describing the collaboration with stc Bahrain as a model for how national goals can be accelerated through joint ventures. 'This project marks a qualitative leap that strengthens Bahrain's global connectivity and supports its ambitions in the digital economy,' he said. Al Osaimi noted that the new system would multiply the country's existing connectivity by ten times. He said the move supports the Kingdom's economic diversification agenda and elevates its status as a regional leader in the ICT sector. Future-Proof Infrastructure The 2Africa Pearls cable system is designed to support a massive 180 terabits per second, making it the only submarine cable in the GCC capable of meeting surging demand from data-heavy platforms like cloud computing, online gaming, and content streaming. Its low latency and high bandwidth are also expected to accelerate the growth of emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT), while delivering more reliable internet performance to consumers and businesses alike. With this digital milestone, Bahrain is now positioned to serve as a crucial node in the global data exchange map.


Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
BDCA 2025 recognizes creative tech solutions that empower Bahrain
TDT | Manama Bahrain honored 30 pioneering digital initiatives at the 2025 Bahrain Digital Content Awards (BDCA), held under the patronage of His Excellency Ali Bin Saleh Al Saleh, Chairman of the Shura Council. The ceremony, hosted by the Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH) in collaboration with WorkSmart, gathered leaders from government, business, and tech communities to spotlight Bahrain's growing leadership in digital transformation. Tareq Fakhroo, Chairman of BTECH, shared heartfelt praise for the winners, saying, 'Their creative and forward-thinking ideas are helping shape the future of digital innovation in Bahrain and strengthening our country's position as a hub for technology in the region.' He added that the wide variety of winning projects shows how far Bahrain has come in both its service and production sectors. 'These 30 projects highlight a dynamic and growing digital landscape,' Fakhroo said, 'and they play a big role in helping us move closer to the goals set out in Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030.' Speaking at the ceremony, Ahmed Al Hujairy, Chairman of the BDCA Awards, expressed his joy in celebrating this year's winners. 'It's truly inspiring to see so many innovative and future-focused projects being recognised,' he said. 'These initiatives stood out for offering smart, practical, and scalable digital solutions that align with global trends. We're proud to have had a panel of local and international experts carefully evaluate all entries and select the best.' Spotlight on the Winners In the Government and Citizen Engagement category, four groundbreaking public service solutions were honored. These included the eShabab mobile app by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the official website of Government Hospitals, the Virtual Customer Service Center from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, and the AI-Driven Drug Addiction Recovery System developed by the Ministry of Interior. For their commitment to inclusive technology, winners in the Inclusion and Empowerment category included the ATTA App by the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, the Shura Council's website, the MP Portal by the Council of Representatives, and the Smart Inspection System (SI) by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. In the field of urban transformation, Smart Settlements and Urbanization winners impressed with citizen-centric platforms like the Property Check system by the Survey and Land Registration Bureau and the Electricity Consumption Dashboard developed by the HH Shaikh Nasser AI R&D Center. Commerce and innovation went hand in hand in the Business and Commerce category. Recognised for their impact were Tijara by Bahrain Development Bank, Hadeya (E-Gift) by The BENEFIT Company, the Sahel App by Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company, and Flight Operations Hub by Gulf Air Group. The digital celebration of culture was evident in the Culture and Heritage winners: Travelage Platform by Travilege Solutions and Water Taxi Booking App by Urbansoft Technologies. The future of education was front and center in the Learning and Education category, with winners like Maryam AI Learning Assistant by Gulf University, AI-Powered Talent Platform by Lumofy, Teacherless AI Classroom by the HH Shaikh Nasser AI R&D Center, and the BBS Parents App from Bahrain Bayan School. For their strides in sustainability, the Environment and Green Energy category applauded the ML Platform by the HH Shaikh Nasser AI Center and the Beyon Green Energy Program by Beyon. In health tech, the Health and Wellbeing category awarded Participant Registration Solution and Organ Donation Services by the Ministry of Health, and the Digital Health Care Platform by Ideas Technology W.L.L. The media world also had its share of trailblazers. In the Media and E-Information category, 's Digital Ad Robot, BraveCF TV by BRAVE Combat Federation, and albilad newspaper's website were celebrated for pushing digital boundaries in content and engagement. Finally, the AI-Driven Business Content category recognized DOO for its Multilingual AI-Powered Customer Experience Platform, showcasing Bahrain's growing role in intelligent business solutions. Award Chairman Mr. Ahmed Al Hujairy summed it up best: 'These projects are not just award-winners; they are blueprints for Bahrain's future in digital excellence. We hope they inspire others to innovate, scale, and lead.' As Bahrain continues to embrace AI and emerging tech, events like the BDCA not only celebrate achievement—they serve as powerful reminders of the Kingdom's vision to lead in the digital age. List of the winners Government and Citizen Engagement eShabab Mobile App – Ministry of Youth Affairs Official Government Hospitals Website Virtual Customer Service Center – Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning AI-Driven Drug Addiction Recovery and Policy Optimization System – Ministry of Interior Inclusion and Empowerment ATTA Mobile App – Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) Shura Council Official Website MP Portal – Council of Representatives Smart Inspection System (SI) – Labour Market Regulatory Authority Smart Settlements and Urbanization Property Check Platform – Survey and Land Registration Bureau Electricity Consumption Dashboard – HH Shaikh Nasser AI Research and Development Center Business and Commerce Tijara Platform – Bahrain Development Bank Hadeya (E-Gift) Feature – The BENEFIT Company Sahel App – Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company Flight Operations Hub – Gulf Air Group Culture and Heritage Travelage Platform – Travilege Solutions Water Taxi Booking Application – Urbansoft Technologies Middle East WLL Learning and Education Maryam AI Learning Assistant – Gulf University AI-Powered Talent Management Platform – Lumofy W.L.L Teacherless AI Classroom – HH Shaikh Nasser AI Research and Development Center BBS Parents App – Bahrain Bayan School