Four submarine communication cables between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti have been out of operation in recent months, possibly as a result of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels supported by Iran, according to a report by the Israeli news website Globes.
The sabotage of the four cables in the sea between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti in East Africa, believed to belong to the AAE-1, Seacom, EIG, and TGN systems, has caused a disruption of communications between Europe and Asia.
The majority of the immediate damage will be absorbed by the Gulf states and India, according to Globes.
The AAE-1 cable connects East Asia to Europe via Egypt, linking China with the West through countries such as Pakistan and Qatar.
The Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable system connects southern Europe with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
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The Seacom cable connects Europe, Africa, and India and is linked to South Africa.
Repairing such a large number of submarine cables can take weeks – at least 8 weeks according to estimates – and may involve exposure to risk from Yemeni rebels.
Telecommunications companies will have to seek out firms willing to carry out the repair work and likely pay them a high-risk premium.
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