Neom, Saudi Arabia

Neom, Saudi Arabia: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Neom is a planned city and development project located in Tabuk Province, on the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea. As a submarine cable landing point, Neom connects Saudi Arabia to an intercontinental corridor stretching from South Asia through the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and into Southern and Western Europe. One submarine cable currently lands at Neom, placing it among the newer and more specialised landing points in the country's coastal infrastructure.

The single cable landing at Neom, the India Europe Xpress (IEX), links Saudi Arabia to a wide set of countries spanning multiple continents. Its routing connects Neom directly into a corridor that includes India to the east and extends westward through Djibouti, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and France, making Neom a node on one of the more geographically extensive submarine cable systems currently in development.

Cables Landing at Neom

The India Europe Xpress (IEX) is a submarine cable system with a total length of 9,775 kilometres, scheduled for ready-for-service (RFS) in 2026. In addition to Neom in Saudi Arabia, the cable lands in Djibouti, Egypt, France, Greece, India, and Italy. The system spans from the Indian subcontinent westward through the Red Sea corridor, across the Mediterranean, and into Western Europe, with Neom serving as one of its Middle Eastern landing points along this route.

Regional Context

Among Saudi Arabia's six submarine cable landing points, Neom hosts one cable and ranks in the top 17% by cable count, reflecting its early-stage position as a landing point within a national infrastructure that includes 24 submarine cables in total. Jeddah leads the country with 16 cables, followed by Al Khobar with 6, while Duba and Yanbu each host 5 and Haql hosts 3. Neom sits at the lower end of this range, consistent with its status as a recently established landing point.

Network Role

Neom functions as a single-cable terminus at this stage, serving as a landing point for the IEX system on its path between India and Europe. The cable's routing through Neom places the site within a long-haul intercontinental corridor that connects South Asian and European networks via the Red Sea and Mediterranean, with Djibouti and Egypt as key intermediate points along the way. The IEX system's 2026 RFS date means Neom's role as an active landing point is set to begin in the near term.

Within the broader Saudi Arabian submarine cable graph, Neom adds geographic diversity to the country's cable landing infrastructure by providing a northwestern Red Sea access point distinct from the more established hubs further south and east. Its position on the IEX system places it on a direct intercontinental route, which distinguishes it from landing points with primarily regional or shorter-haul connectivity.