EMC West-1

Overview

EMC West-1 is a regional submarine cable spanning approximately 3,639 kilometres across the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea corridor. It connects Greece, Israel, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, serving as a direct link between southern Europe, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula.

Route and Landings

In Greece, the cable lands at two points: Athens and Tympaki, located on the southern coast of Crete. In Israel, it has a landing at Netanya, situated on the Mediterranean coastline. Italy is served by a single landing point in Genoa, on the northwestern Ligurian coast. The cable also makes landfall in Haql, a coastal town on the Gulf of Aqaba in Saudi Arabia.

Ownership and Operators

EMC West-1 is owned by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited, which holds the system as a single owner rather than through a multi-party consortium arrangement.

Status and Timeline

EMC West-1 is planned for a Ready for Service date in 2027. The system is currently under development and not yet operational.

Strategic Context

The eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea corridor is served by several established long-haul cable systems, including the 2Africa, Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1), and IMEWE cables. These larger intercontinental systems extend well beyond the regional scope of EMC West-1's 3,639-kilometre span, traversing tens of thousands of kilometres across multiple continents. In contrast, EMC West-1 operates within a more concentrated geographic footprint linking four countries in close proximity. EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited is the sole owner and operator of EMC West-1, ensuring streamlined management and potentially reduced operational complexities compared to multi-party consortiums. The cable's route strategically connects two Greek landing points — including Crete, which sits at a geographic midpoint in the eastern Mediterranean — with Genoa in northern Italy, Netanya in Israel, and Haql in Saudi Arabia. This direct submarine connectivity bridges southern Europe with the Levant and the northwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The dual Greek landings offer geographic diversity within the country, providing redundancy and resilience to network traffic flows. The Haql landing via the Gulf of Aqaba extends the system's reach into the Red Sea region without requiring a transit through the main Mediterranean basin, potentially reducing latency and improving overall performance for data transmission between these key markets.