Al Hidd, Bahrain

Al Hidd, Bahrain: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Al Hidd is a town situated on the southeastern extremity of Muharraq Island in Bahrain, positioned along the coastline of the Arabian Gulf. As a submarine cable landing point, Al Hidd connects Bahrain to the broader regional telecommunications network of the Gulf and beyond. Three submarine cables land at Al Hidd, making it a notable hub within Bahrain's submarine cable infrastructure.

The cables landing at Al Hidd collectively enable connectivity across a regional Gulf corridor as well as intercontinental links extending to South Asia. The Gulf Bridge International Cable System/Middle East North Africa Cable System (GBICS/MENA) reaches as far as India, while the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) system connects multiple Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Iraq. Together, these systems position Al Hidd as a point of both intra-Gulf regional exchange and longer-distance intercontinental connectivity.

Cables Landing at Al Hidd, Bahrain

The Gulf Bridge International Cable System/Middle East North Africa Cable System (GBICS/MENA) is a published cable system with a length of 5,270 km that became ready for service in 2012. In addition to Al Hidd, it lands in India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, spanning both the Gulf region and extending the connectivity corridor to South Asia.

A second entry associated with the Gulf Bridge International Cable System/Middle East North Africa Cable System (GBICS/MENA) is listed with draft status and connects to the same set of countries: India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. This draft entry reflects a planned or updated segment of the same system serving the same international corridor.

The Fibre in Gulf (FIG) cable is a draft system with a length of 1,931 km, with a ready-for-service date of 2027. This cable links Al Hidd to Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, forming a dedicated intra-Gulf loop connecting the majority of Arabian Gulf states.

Regional Context

Within Bahrain, Al Hidd ranks as the second-largest landing point by cable count, hosting 3 cables. Manama, Bahrain's capital, leads with 4 cables, while Amwaj Island hosts a single cable. Across all three landing points, Bahrain supports a total of 7 submarine cables. Al Hidd's cable count places it in the upper tier of Bahrain's three landing points.

Network Role

Al Hidd functions as a multi-cable landing point serving two distinct connectivity roles: regional intra-Gulf connectivity through the FIG system, and intercontinental reach toward South Asia through the GBICS/MENA system. With three cables landing at this single location, Al Hidd is not a single-cable terminus but a modest hub within Bahrain's distributed submarine cable infrastructure. The FIG cable, when it enters service in 2027, will further reinforce Al Hidd's role in the Gulf regional network by adding a dedicated inter-Gulf link alongside the existing long-haul capacity.

In the broader submarine cable graph of the Arabian Gulf, Al Hidd contributes to Bahrain's overall connectivity by diversifying the country's cable landing geography across Muharraq Island, complementing the larger concentration of cables at Manama and ensuring that Gulf-facing and India-facing routes are served from this eastern coastal node.