Internet coverage in the Emirates could be disrupted for up to six weeks after cables in the Red Sea were severed, experts have told The National.
Services slowed to a crawl in parts of the Middle East, India and Pakistan this weekend after cables in the Red Sea were severed. On Monday, the internet monitor DownDetector.ae showed some user reports of problems and slow service on Du and Etisalat.
Dr Sarath Raj, project director of the satellite ground station at Amity University in Dubai, said that it could take up to six weeks to repair the cables and that connection for users in the meanwhile could run at slower speeds.
“Repairing these cables is not a quick process. Specialised ships must locate the exact fault, lift the damaged cable from the seabed, splice it and then test it before restoring service,” he told The National. “In most cases, this process takes two to six weeks, depending on location, weather and ship availability.”
Has it happened before?
Dr Raj pointed to the Alexandria cable cut in 2008, after which it took nearly a month for services to be fully restored, affecting millions of people in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
“Until then, internet traffic is rerouted through other cables, which keeps services running but usually causes slower speeds and higher latency,” said Dr Raj. Internet satellites like Elon Musk’s Starlink, which could offer an alternative in situations such as this, are not activated over the UAE yet.
But Dr Raj believes submarine cables would still remain the “backbone of global internet” because of their high capacity.
“At the same time, satellite internet, particularly the newer low-earth orbit constellations, can provide redundancy and improve resilience,” he said. “A hybrid system of cables and satellites is the most reliable way forward to avoid major disruptions.”
It is not known what caused the incident. There have been fears that cables in the Red Sea could be attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though they have denied attacking lines in the past. Cables can be cut by anchors dropped from ships, and about 70 per cent of the past instances of this happening were accidental.
Disruption
Users across the Emirates have reported disruption over recent days. Gabriela Solis, a freelance journalist in Dubai who works for a Mexican daily newspaper, said speeds have been noticeably slower.
“At home, I first noticed it on my phone when X wouldn’t load and it kept showing an error,” she said. “Then on my laptop, opening new tabs would take longer. And just last night, as my husband and I were watching a TV show on a streaming platform, the image lagged.”
Sharanya Paulraj, a PR manager in Dubai, said: “None of the websites I’m using for research are loading and I have to keep refreshing my browser. I’ve mostly been relying on previous research and checking alternate websites, which is not ideal when on a time crunch. I hope that it doesn’t continue because a lot of my work is very planning-heavy and Google-focused.”
The Red Sea is a critical telecoms route, connecting Europe to Africa and Asia through Egypt. Repairing subsea cables in the area can be difficult, particularly given the continuing Houthi attacks on vessels in the area.
In March last year, at least three subsea cables were cut, which affected internet traffic in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The US government found that the anchor from the Rubymar, a ship the Houthis had critically damaged, had dragged along the seabed and cut the cables in question.
Between November 2023 and December last year, the Houthis attacked more than 100 ships with missiles and drones, and there have been several further attacks this year. The Houthis have sunk four vessels and killed at least eight mariners.
Services remain vulnerable
Raed AlHazme, an IT expert who has served as chief information officer of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Saudi Arabia, said the widespread internet disruption highlighted the dangers of over-reliance on such communication networks.
“These incidents are not new – similar outages have happened in recent years due to cable faults or cuts. Each time, they remind us how fragile global digital infrastructure can be when over-reliant on external routes,” he said.
“There is a common belief that most of the world’s data travels through satellites, but the truth is different. Satellites carry less than 1 per cent of global internet traffic. Subsea cables, on the other hand, are responsible for more than 97 per cent to 99 per cent of worldwide data.
“Although traffic was quickly rerouted through alternative cables, the incident teaches us critical lessons. Relying solely on international infrastructure is a major risk, and digital sovereignty is not a luxury – it is a strategic necessity to ensure continuity and security of critical systems.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
