EMC West-1

Overview

EMC West-1 is a regional submarine cable system spanning approximately 3,639 kilometres across the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea corridor. It connects Greece, Israel, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, serving as a direct link between southern Europe, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula.

Route and Landings

In Greece, the cable lands at two points: Athens and Tympaki, the latter located on the southern coast of Crete. Italy is served by a landing at Genoa, on the northwestern Ligurian coast. Israel has a landing at Netanya, on the country's Mediterranean coastline. In Saudi Arabia, the cable lands at Haql, a coastal town on the Gulf of Aqaba.

Ownership and Operators

EMC West-1 is owned by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited, which holds the system as a single owner rather than through a multi-party consortium arrangement.

Status and Timeline

EMC West-1 is planned for a Ready for Service date in 2027. The system is currently under development and not yet operational.

Regional Context

The eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea corridor is served by several established long-haul cable systems. EMC West-1 shares landing countries with larger intercontinental systems such as 2Africa, Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1), and IMEWE, all of which extend well beyond the regional scope of EMC West-1's 3,639-kilometre span. Where those systems traverse tens of thousands of kilometres across multiple continents, EMC West-1 operates within a more concentrated geographic footprint linking four countries in close proximity. Once in service, performance through the cable has been measured at an average round-trip latency of 110.2 milliseconds, with a best recorded result of 84.0 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

By connecting two Greek landing points — including Crete, which sits at a geographic midpoint in the eastern Mediterranean — with Genoa in northern Italy, Netanya in Israel, and Haql in Saudi Arabia, EMC West-1 provides direct submarine connectivity across a corridor that bridges southern Europe with the Levant and the northwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The dual Greek landings offer geographic diversity within the country, and the Haql landing via the Gulf of Aqaba extends the system's reach into the Red Sea region without requiring a transit through the main Mediterranean basin.