Bab-el-Mandeb: The Next Strait of Hormuz for the Global Internet
WANA (Jul 25) – With every message we send, our data begins a long journey under the sea. A portion of this journey passes through one of the world’s most critical bottlenecks: the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
A narrow path that is not only a main highway for commercial ships, but also serves as one of the primary arteries of the global internet.
In this report, we examine which fiber-optic cables pass through Bab-el-Mandeb, which companies and countries own these cables, which regions each cable connects, and what role this bottleneck plays in data transfer between Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Why is Bab-el-Mandeb important?
Bab-el-Mandeb (located between Yemen and Djibouti, with a width of about 26 kilometers) is the connecting link between the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean. Most submarine cables carrying data between Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa reach the Suez Canal and then the Mediterranean Sea after passing through this strait.
According to reports, about 17 submarine cables pass through this strait, carrying the bulk of data traffic between Europe, Asia, and Africa, which accounts for about 17 percent of global internet traffic and over 90 percent of Europe-Asia communications.
The importance of Bab-el-Mandeb is not limited solely to data transmission. The concentration of dozens of international cables in this corridor has made this route a constant focus for intelligence agencies over the past years.
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Released documents regarding U.S. and British programs show that submarine cables have been primary targets for intelligence gathering operations—a matter that doubles the strategic importance of this bottleneck.
The Most Important Cables Passing Through Bab-el-Mandeb
SEA-ME-WE 3
The oldest active cable on this route connects Europe through Egypt and the Red Sea to the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This cable belongs to a consortium of dozens of telecom operators and, despite its age, still carries a portion of international traffic.
SEA-ME-WE 4
This cable connects France through Egypt and Bab-el-Mandeb to countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Its owners are a consortium of international operators, including France’s Orange, Telecom Egypt, and India’s Tata Communications, and it remains one of the main data transmission routes.
SEA-ME-WE 5
The new generation of the SEA-ME-WE family, connecting France to Singapore. With a capacity of around 24 Terabits per second, this cable carries an important portion of internet traffic between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
AAE-1
One of the most important intercontinental cables, connecting East Asia through South Asia, the Middle East, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Egypt to Europe. With a capacity of over 40 Terabits per second, this cable belongs to a consortium of Asian, Middle Eastern, and European operators.
IMEWE
The IMEWE cable connects India through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Egypt to Europe. This system was built with the participation of companies such as France’s Orange, Telecom Egypt, and India’s Tata Communications, and is one of the main communication routes connecting India to Europe.
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WANA (May 10) – The Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman have always been recognized in global strategic literature as the primary arteries for energy transmission. However, in the contemporary world, this body of water hosts another valuable asset: “Data.” Deep within these waters, thousands of kilometers of fiber-optic cables transport the vital […]
Europe India Gateway (EIG)
This cable connects the UK and Europe through the Mediterranean, Egypt, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Arabian Sea to India. UK’s Vodafone, India’s Bharti Airtel, and Telecom Egypt are among the most important members of its consortium.
FLAG Europe-Asia (FEA)
One of the oldest international fiber-optic networks, connecting Europe through Egypt, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean to East Asia. This cable is currently managed by the Indian company Global Cloud Xchange.
FALCON
A regional network that connects the Persian Gulf littoral states through the Red Sea and Egypt to Europe. This cable plays an important role in the international communications of the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region.
PEACE
The PEACE cable is one of the newest intercontinental routes, connecting China and Pakistan through Bab-el-Mandeb and Egypt to Europe. Designed with a capacity of over 90 Terabits per second, it aims to respond to the growth of data traffic between Asia, Africa, and Europe.
SEACOM
This cable connects East and South Africa through Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and Egypt to Europe. SEACOM is considered one of the most important internet communication routes for East African countries.
2Africa
One of the world’s largest submarine cable projects connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This cable passes through the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb, then reaches the Mediterranean Sea via Egypt.
Executed with a design capacity of 180 Terabits per second by a consortium consisting of Meta, Orange, Vodafone, China Mobile, Telecom Egypt, MTN GlobalConnect, and South Africa’s WIOCC, this project plays a major role in expanding intercontinental communication capacity.
Now, consider the consequences if these underwater conduits were suddenly severed: over 90% of data traffic between Europe and Asia would face immediate disruption, heavily impacting global communications, financial transactions, and cloud infrastructure.
This vulnerability is no longer just a hypothetical scenario. Recent military escalations in the region have drawn intense global focus to the geopolitical fragility of this narrow strait.
While these tension-driven events primarily target maritime shipping, subsea infrastructure faces indirect risks, such as damaged ships dragging anchors across the seabed or the severe difficulty of dispatching repair vessels into high-risk military zones.
Just as the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical pressure point for global energy security, Bab-el-Mandeb has demonstrated that any severe instability in this corridor can instantly reverberate across the global digital network.
