EMC West-2

Overview

EMC West-2 is a submarine cable system spanning approximately 3,978 kilometres across the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea region. It connects four countries — France, Greece, Israel, and Saudi Arabia — forming a corridor that links Western Europe with the Middle East. The system is planned for service in 2027 and is wholly owned by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited.

Route and Landings

In France, the cable lands at Marseille, one of the Mediterranean's most established submarine cable hubs. In Greece, the landing point is Tympaki, located on the southern coast of Crete. In Israel, the cable comes ashore at Ashkelon, on the country's Mediterranean coastline. In Saudi Arabia, the landing point is Haql, situated on the Gulf of Aqaba.

Ownership and Operators

EMC West-2 is owned solely by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited. As the sole owner, EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited holds full operational responsibility for the system.

Status and Timeline

EMC West-2 is planned for service with a Ready for Service (RFS) date of 2027. The system is currently in a pre-service phase ahead of that target year.

Regional Context

The corridor served by EMC West-2 — connecting France, Greece, Israel, and Saudi Arabia — is shared by several established systems. Cables such as Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1), 2Africa, PEACE Cable, and SeaMeWe-6 all traverse portions of this same corridor, with those systems ranging from 21,700 to 45,000 kilometres in total length and having entered service between 2017 and 2026. At 3,978 kilometres, EMC West-2 is considerably shorter, reflecting a more regionally focused design rather than a long-haul intercontinental reach. Measured round-trip latency through EMC West-2 averages 95.0 milliseconds over recent testing, with a best recorded result of 64.8 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

By connecting landing points in France, Greece, Israel, and Saudi Arabia within a compact 3,978-kilometre footprint, EMC West-2 provides a direct eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea link among these four countries. The Tympaki landing in Crete extends Greek participation in this corridor, while the Haql landing on Saudi Arabia's Gulf of Aqaba coastline differs geographically from the Red Sea and Mediterranean approaches used by several peer systems. Together, the four landing points position EMC West-2 as a regionally specific addition to an otherwise long-haul corridor.