OFN Signs Dark Fibre Agreement with iQ Networks to Advance Iraq Transit Corridor and FIG Landing Partnership with ITPC

OFN, the international connectivity arm of Ooredoo Group, has signed a dark fibre agreement with iQ Networks, a leading Iraqi fibre-optic infrastructure provider, to purchase multiple dark fibre pairs for transit connectivity across Iraq. The deal, signed at Ooredoo Group's headquarters in Doha, supports the development of an integrated subsea and terrestrial connectivity corridor running through Iraq towards Türkiye and Europe, and complements OFN's separate landing arrangement with the Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC) for the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable system.

The agreement carries significant implications for regional and intercontinental data traffic flows. By combining FIG's subsea capacity with iQ Networks' terrestrial dark fibre infrastructure, the initiative aims to establish an additional geographical route linking Asia, the Gulf, Iraq and Europe. This route diversity is increasingly critical as demand for scalable international bandwidth accelerates, driven by the expansion of AI platforms, hyperscale cloud services, content delivery networks and data centre operators across the region. The initiative also supports Iraq's ambition to become a strategic regional hub for international data transit, allowing the country to capture greater value from traffic crossing its territory.

The FIG subsea cable system is being developed as the largest of its kind ever built in the GCC, with up to 720 Tbps of capacity across 24 fibre pairs. It will connect Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq through a single high-capacity Gulf loop. The landing arrangement signed with ITPC supports the planned landing of the subsea system in Iraq and is separate from, but complementary to, the OFN–iQ Networks dark fibre agreement announced today. Together, the two arrangements will connect FIG's subsea infrastructure with terrestrial transit across Iraq, extending the route overland towards Türkiye and Europe.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials including Dr. Buraq Abdulkareem, Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, and Bassam Salim Hussein, Minister's Advisor for Technical Affairs, both from Iraq's Ministry of Communications; Ali Yaseen Dawood, Chief Executive Officer, and Alaa Obais Hussein, Deputy CEO for Technical Affairs, both from ITPC; Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo; Asoz Rashid, Group Chief Executive Officer of iQ Group; Khalid Hassan Al-Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of OFN; and Waseem Amjad, Chief Executive Officer of iQ Networks.

Khalid Hassan Al-Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of OFN, said the agreement marks the next phase of a disciplined, multi-stage infrastructure programme and further strengthens OFN's international connectivity portfolio, adding that by bringing together FIG's subsea capacity and iQ Networks' terrestrial infrastructure, the companies are advancing a more integrated and resilient connectivity proposition for international customers. Asoz Rashid, Group Chief Executive Officer of iQ Group, said the scale of the collaboration reinforces Iraq's position as a key gateway for international connectivity, and that by combining Iraq's strategic location and iQ's leading terrestrial infrastructure with the scale of the FIG subsea system, there is an opportunity to establish the primary route linking Asia, the Gulf and Europe.

Dark fibre infrastructure gives wholesale customers greater control over how they deploy, manage and scale their transmission capacity, making it particularly relevant to telecom operators, hyperscalers, AI and cloud providers, content companies and data centres with substantial long-term bandwidth requirements. The Iraqi transit route will provide these customers with an additional geographical option between the Gulf and Europe, strengthening route diversity across OFN's international infrastructure portfolio.

The agreement aligns with Ooredoo Group's broader strategy to develop a scaled digital infrastructure portfolio spanning subsea cables, terrestrial fibre, data centres and AI-ready platforms. By combining FIG with terrestrial dark fibre transit through Iraq, OFN is expanding its role in international connectivity and developing a more integrated regional infrastructure proposition. The initiative is expected to create new international wholesale opportunities while supporting greater utilisation of OFN's subsea and terrestrial infrastructure investments. Implementation will follow the agreed plan and remain subject to applicable regulatory and governmental approvals.