Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable: A Short Submarine Link in the UAE
The Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable is a submarine telecommunications cable connecting
Sharjah on the mainland of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to
Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island, an offshore territory of the UAE. With a length of 84 kilometers, it is relatively short compared to international submarine cables, but it plays a specialized role in linking the island to the mainland's communication network. The cable is owned by e&, formerly known as Etisalat, a major telecommunications operator in the UAE.
What stands out about the Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable is its limited public documentation. While its route and ownership are clear, details such as design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier have not been disclosed in publicly available sources. This lack of transparency makes it challenging to assess its full technological capabilities or its role within the broader UAE telecom infrastructure.
Quick facts
| Name | Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable |
| Length | 84 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2018 (GeoCables database value; no conflicting industry sources identified) |
| Owners | e& |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Sharjah (UAE); Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island (UAE) |
Route
The Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable connects two landing points within the UAE: Sharjah, a major city and emirate on the mainland, and Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island, a small island located offshore in the Persian Gulf. The island is known for its environmental significance and limited human habitation, and the cable likely serves to provide telecommunications infrastructure for any activities on the island, whether related to conservation, research, or other uses.
The corridor is entirely within UAE territorial waters, simplifying regulatory and maintenance considerations compared to international submarine cables that cross multiple jurisdictions.
Why it was built and what it carries
The specific motivations for building the Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable have not been disclosed, but it is reasonable to infer that the cable was constructed to provide reliable connectivity to Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island. Given the island’s remote location, a submarine cable offers a more durable and scalable solution compared to satellite or microwave links. The cable likely supports data, voice, and potentially specialized applications such as environmental monitoring or maritime operations.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database records the cable as ready for service in 2018, and no conflicting dates have been identified in industry sources. This timeline aligns with e&’s broader strategy of expanding and modernizing its telecommunications infrastructure in the UAE. However, no detailed public announcements or documentation about the cable’s construction, commissioning, or operational milestones are available.
Capacity and technology
The design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier for the Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable are not disclosed in public sources, making it impossible to definitively assess its technological specifications. In the absence of operator documentation, attributing specific capabilities or features would be speculative. Given the cable’s relatively short length and localized use, it is likely optimized for regional connectivity rather than high-capacity international traffic.
Latency: the physics
The computed one-way light propagation latency over 84 kilometers of fiber is approximately 0.4 milliseconds, with a theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor of 0.8 milliseconds for the wet segment. However, real-world latency is invariably higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and network routing. Without live measurements or operator-provided data, the actual end-to-end latency cannot be precisely determined.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If the Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable were to experience a fault, redundancy options would depend on alternative connectivity solutions for Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island. No specific alternative submarine cables for this corridor are listed in the GeoCables database, suggesting that redundancy might rely on satellite links or other terrestrial systems. Repair logistics would follow standard industry practices, including fault localization, deployment of a cable repair vessel, and possibly the use of spare cable stored in regional depots.
Bottom line
- The Sir Abu Nu’ayr Cable is a short submarine cable connecting Sharjah and Sir Abu Nu'Ayr Island in the UAE.
- Owned by e&, it has been in service since 2018 according to GeoCables records.
- Key technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier are not publicly disclosed.
- Its theoretical latency floor for the wet segment is 0.8 ms round-trip, but real-world latency is higher.
- No documented redundancy options or alternative cables are listed for this corridor.