UAE internet slowdown may last for months as Red Sea cables await repair

Technology

UAE internet slowdown may last for months as Red Sea cables await repair

UAE residents have been facing internet disruptions for a third consecutive day after undersea cables in the Red Sea were damaged, with experts warning that repairs could take weeks or even months to complete.

Yasser Saied, Consulting Systems Engineer at cybersecurity firm Palo Alto, explained that only a handful of companies globally have the technology and expertise to fix such cables. “These cables are buried deep under the ocean, requiring special fibre divers to locate and repair the damage. It is not an easy operation and could take months,” he said.

Despite the setback, Saied noted a long-term advantage: replacing the damaged cables with new ones could improve durability. “Such incidents occur every five to ten years, but modern materials ensure greater resistance to decay and destruction,” he added.

Residents report disruption

Frustrated users across the UAE reported issues with both mobile data and internet connectivity. Urmi K., a resident, said her Google Maps failed while traveling near Abu Dhabi, extending her journey by an hour. Another resident, attending a work event, reported being unable to use mobile data but managed to connect via available Wi-Fi.

Telecom operators Du and e& UAE have acknowledged the issue. Both companies issued public statements confirming the cable cut and assured customers that technical teams are coordinating with international providers to restore services.

Investigations underway

The exact cause of the cable damage remains unclear. Swapnendu M., Solutions Architect at Cisco, outlined possible scenarios ranging from ship anchors and natural disasters to rare cases of sabotage. “This specific route is heavily used as it connects the Middle East to Europe. While alternate paths like the Singapore-India route exist, the dependency on this corridor is significant,” he said.

Experts emphasised that undersea cables remain critical infrastructure for global connectivity. While satellite internet can offer limited redundancy, it cannot yet replace submarine cables when it comes to high-capacity, low-latency data transmission.

Building resilience

Chris Royles, EMEA Field CTO at Cloudera, said the incident underscores the need for flexibility in digital infrastructure planning. “Companies must build agility into their systems to cope with unexpected changes like network outages. Planning for disruption ensures business continuity under stressed conditions,” he said.

With investigations ongoing and repairs expected to be complex, experts caution that UAE residents and businesses may need to brace for continued slowdowns in connectivity until full services are restored.