Dubai: Internet services were disrupted across large parts of Asia and the Middle East on Sunday, September 7, after undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea. Users in India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates reported slower speeds and outages as engineers rushed to assess the damage. According to NetBlocks, outages affected key subsea systems such as the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) cables near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While the exact cause of the disruption remains unclear, the incident raised concerns over potential sabotage in a region already tense due to ongoing conflicts.
The disruption comes at a time when Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue their campaign against Israel, linked to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in Gaza. Although the Houthis have previously denied targeting undersea cables, speculation persists given their history of attacking vessels in the Red Sea. From November 2023 to December 2024, Houthi forces carried out more than 100 strikes on ships, sinking several and killing mariners in the process. Their operations, described as retaliation against Israel, drew heavy retaliatory strikes from both Israel and the United States. The latest cable incident has heightened fears that digital infrastructure could become the next battleground.
Technology giants also acknowledged the impact of the outage. Microsoft confirmed that users across West Asia may experience “increased latency” due to the fiber cuts, though traffic outside the affected region remains stable. Telecommunications firms in India, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have yet to provide full clarity, with both Tata Communications and Alcatel-Lucent’s consortium declining to comment. Meanwhile, authorities in the affected countries have been slow to officially acknowledge the disruption, adding to uncertainty. As tensions remain high in the region—with the Israel–Hamas war continuing, possible ceasefire talks stalling, and US–Iran relations under strain—the security of vital undersea cables is now drawing global attention.
