Middle East Logistics Under Pressure: Red Sea Cable Cuts Highlight Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) By Roman Ziemian

When four undersea internet cables were recently severed in the Red Sea, the Middle East and parts of Asia experienced immediate connectivity slowdowns. For most people, this disruption meant lagging video calls or interrupted browsing. But for businesses, governments, and investors, it was a stark reminder: our regional logistics and digital infrastructure remain vulnerably exposed to single points of failure .

The Middle East has invested billions in ports, airports, free zones, and smart city ecosystems. Dubai's Jebel Ali, Saudi Arabia's NEOM port ambitions, and Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port are designed to put the region at the center of global trade. Yet this latest episode underscores a paradox - while our physical logistics hubs are world-class, the digital arteries that connect them remain fragile . Fragility in the System

The Red Sea carries roughly 17% of global internet traffic through submarine cables. A single accident or geopolitical flare-up can ripple across e-commerce, supply chains, banking systems, and even critical government services. In an era where logistics and digital trade are inseparable, this creates unacceptable risks.

Consider e-commerce: platforms like Noon, Amazon, and regional SMEs depend on real-time data flows. Delivery schedules, customs clearances, and cross-border payments hinge on uninterrupted connectivity. A cable cut in the Red Sea isn't just an IT problem - it's a logistics bottleneck that can stall economies . Rethinking Resilience

The lesson is not that cables are unreliable; they are the backbone of global trade. The lesson is that redundancy and diversification must become strategic priorities . Satellite internet systems like Starlink, regional data centers, and alternative routing through the Arabian Gulf or terrestrial links across Saudi Arabia and Jordan should no longer be considered“backups” - they must be integral to national resilience plans.

Equally, public–private partnerships need to accelerate. Telecom operators, port authorities, airlines, and e-commerce giants cannot operate in silos. If a shipping container can be tracked from Shanghai to Riyadh with precision, then surely our digital lifelines deserve the same level of investment and coordination. A Call to Action

For Middle Eastern economies positioning themselves as global logistics and innovation hubs , the message is clear: world-class infrastructure requires both steel and fiber . It is not enough to build futuristic free zones and AI-powered customs systems if the internet connections supporting them can be cut by an anchor in the Red Sea.

The disruption of the past weeks is not an isolated incident. It is a warning flare. Those who act now - building resilience, redundancy, and collaboration into the very DNA of logistics - will safeguard not just commerce, but the credibility of the Middle East as a reliable global partner. About the Author

Roman Ziemian is an entrepreneur and commentator on global markets and innovation. He writes on leadership, business resilience, and the intersections of technology and strategy in the Middle East and beyond.

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