For generations, the Strait of Hormuz has been viewed through the lens of energy. Whenever tensions rise in our region, the conversation inevitably turns to oil tankers, shipping lanes and the implications for global markets. That is understandable. Few waterways carry greater significance for the world economy.
Yet recent events have highlighted a less visible, but increasingly important, dimension of Hormuz – one that lies beneath the surface.
Over the past few months, amid escalating regional tensions and growing speculation about a wider conflict involving Iran, references to the subsea cables that pass through the Strait have emerged in Iranian media. Some of the commentary has touched on the possibility of imposing fees on these cables, while others hinted at their potential use as a geopolitical pressure point. Whether such remarks were intended as policy signals or political messaging is ultimately beside the point. What matters is that they drew attention to a strategic vulnerability that deserves far greater consideration than it currently receives.
We often speak about energy security. Increasingly, we should also be speaking about data security. The global economy today runs on both.
More than 95 per cent of intercontinental data traffic travels through subsea cables. Every financial transaction processed across borders, every cloud-based service, every major e-commerce platform and an increasing share of the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence depend on these networks. They are among the most important pieces of infrastructure in the modern world, despite remaining largely invisible to the public.
As economies become more digital, these cables are assuming a role not unlike that of energy pipelines in previous decades. Their reliability is no longer merely a technical issue; it is becoming an economic and strategic imperative.
That reality raises an important question: how can the resilience of these networks be strengthened in a region where geography and geopolitics often intersect?
In my view, the UAE is uniquely positioned to provide part of the answer.
The reason is remarkably simple. The UAE has direct access to both the Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf. For many years, this geographical fact has been recognised primarily through the lens of trade and logistics. Yet in the digital age, it may prove equally important for the movement of data.
A practical solution presents itself. International cable systems could land on the UAE’s eastern coastline along the Arabian Sea, cross the country through terrestrial fibre infrastructure and reconnect to networks on the Arabian Gulf. In doing so, a significant portion of the risk associated with one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints could be mitigated without requiring a fundamental redesign of existing global communications routes.
The infrastructure that carries data will become every bit as important as the infrastructure that carries energy
What makes this proposition particularly attractive is that it does not require the kind of transformative engineering projects that often dominate discussions about strategic infrastructure. No canals need to be excavated. No new maritime passages need to be created. The foundations already exist.
Just as importantly, the UAE is not approaching this subject as a newcomer. Over the past two decades, Emirati companies have become major participants in telecommunications infrastructure, data centres and international cable projects. The country has steadily established itself as a digital gateway connecting markets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. At the same time, it has emerged as one of the world’s most ambitious investors in artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
This discussion should also be viewed within the broader context of global connectivity. The UAE is a central participant in many of the major initiatives shaping international trade routes, from the Belt and Road Initiative to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. These projects are designed to facilitate the movement of goods, capital and energy across continents. Yet the corridors of the future will carry something else as well: data.
Indeed, every economic corridor increasingly requires a digital corridor alongside it.
The strategic implications are therefore considerable. A secure digital passage linking the Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf would strengthen the resilience of international communications networks, support the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing and further reinforce the UAE’s position as a trusted connector between East and West.
Throughout its history, the UAE has demonstrated an exceptional ability to identify opportunities where others see constraints. It has done so in aviation, logistics, trade, finance and energy. The digital economy may offer the next such opportunity.
As data becomes one of the defining strategic resources of our age, the infrastructure that carries it will become every bit as important as the infrastructure that carries energy. Countries that understand this shift early will help shape the architecture of the global economy for decades to come.
The UAE is uniquely positioned to be one of them.