Riyadh–Syria–Greece Fiber Cable Route: Latest Developments

Riyadh is reportedly seeking to reroute a planned fiber-optic cable linking Saudi Arabia to Greece through Syria instead of Israel — a move that could reshape digital infrastructure alliances across the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East.

According to regional officials cited in Middle East Eye report, Saudi Arabia wants Syria to act as the new transit country for a strategic subsea-and-terrestrial fiber-optic cable connecting the kingdom to Europe via Greece. The project was originally expected to pass through Israel but is now under reconsideration as geopolitical tensions and regional alignments evolve.

The cable initiative forms part of the East-to-Med Data Corridor, first announced jointly by Saudi Arabia and Greece in 2022, aimed at improving digital connectivity between Asia and Europe.

Strategic Pivot Toward Damascus

The proposed shift comes amid deepening Saudi-Syrian economic cooperation following major investment agreements signed earlier this month covering aviation, infrastructure, and telecommunications.

On February 7, 2026, Riyadh and Damascus announced plans to expand Syria’s telecom infrastructure under the “Silk Link” initiative — a project reportedly worth about $1 billion designed to lay thousands of kilometers of fiber-optic cable and position Syria as a regional digital transit hub between Asia and Europe.

Experts say incorporating Syria into the Greece-bound cable route could:

• Diversify regional data transit pathways

• Reduce reliance on existing chokepoints such as Egypt’s Suez corridor

• Reinforce Saudi Arabia’s growing role in rebuilding Syria’s post-war infrastructure

A recent Reuters report noted that Gulf countries are increasingly competing to become AI and data-connectivity hubs through new cable networks linking Europe and Asia.

Potential Impact on Greece–Israel Relations

Replacing Israel with Syria in the cable’s land route could introduce diplomatic complications for Greece, which maintains close defense and energy ties with Israel.

Israel has become a key node in Europe-Asia data connectivity through projects such as the Blue-Raman submarine cable system, connecting Greece, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and India via Mediterranean and Red Sea segments.

Any shift away from Israeli territory may therefore signal:

• A broader realignment in Gulf-Levant technological partnerships

• Rising competition over digital infrastructure corridors

• The emergence of Syria as a new gateway linking Europe and Asia

Reintegrating Syria Into Regional Infrastructure

After more than a decade of conflict that devastated its infrastructure, Syria has been actively pursuing foreign investment following the lifting of remaining U.S. sanctions in late 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s latest investments — spanning telecoms, energy, aviation, and real estate — are widely seen as part of a strategic push to reintegrate Damascus into regional trade and connectivity networks while accelerating reconstruction efforts.

If finalized, the rerouting of the Greece-Saudi fiber-optic cable through Syria could mark one of the most significant digital-infrastructure shifts in the Middle East in recent years — with implications not only for internet traffic but also for geopolitical influence across the Mediterranean corridor.

Sources:

• Exclusive: Riyadh wants Syria route for Greece fiber cable

• Saudi Arabia shifts fiber‑optic cable route from Israel to Syria

• Iraqi‑UAE consortium plans fast data cable network