Google Cable Boosts Oman’s Digital Hub Status: What It Means for Investors and Entrepreneurs
MUSCAT, NOVEMBER 19 – Google has announced the launch of Dhivaru, a new subsea cable system spanning the Trans-Indian Ocean, which will connect Oman, the Maldives, and Christmas Island. This development further strengthens Oman’s emerging role as a pivotal regional digital gateway. The announcement was made by Bikash Koley, Google’s Vice President for Global Networking and Infrastructure, who emphasized that the investment is designed to enhance the reach, reliability, and resilience of Google’s global network amid increasing demand for AI-driven services.
The Dhivaru cable system will support rapidly expanding platforms such as Vertex AI and Gemini, which require low-latency, high-availability international connectivity. For Oman, this cable introduces additional network diversity at a critical time when cloud adoption, fintech, and AI-powered applications are rapidly advancing, in alignment with Oman Vision 2040.
Oman is already a key international hub for subsea connectivity, hosting several major cable systems, including the Oman Australia Cable (OAC), linking Muscat to Perth, and the 2Africa cable landing at Barka and Salalah. Additionally, the country serves as a landing point for global systems like the Europe–India Gateway (EIG) and TGN-Gulf. In 2025, Ooredoo further consolidated Oman’s position with the launch of the Salalah Data Centre and Cable Landing Station, establishing a critical node for hyperscale interconnections.
The integration of Dhivaru will enhance Oman’s international network redundancy, reduce the risk of service disruptions, and foster growth in regional digital trade corridors.
As part of this initiative, Google will also establish two connectivity hubs in the Maldives and Christmas Island. These hubs will offer cable switching, content caching, and colocation services, improving routing resilience and accelerating access to Google services for Oman. Cable switching enables automatic traffic rerouting during faults, while content caching stores frequently accessed data closer to end users, optimizing cloud and AI service performance for Omani businesses and consumers.
Oman has proactively supported the subsea infrastructure sector through regulatory measures. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has introduced a framework to protect submarine cables within Omani territorial waters, ensuring secure operations and boosting investor confidence. Strategically positioned with landing points in Muscat, Barka, and Salalah, Oman is emerging as a preferred destination for subsea cable systems seeking diverse and secure routes across the Indian Ocean.
Google’s Dhivaru cable is expected to accelerate this momentum, reinforcing Oman’s ambition to become a regional digital and technological hub. As global hyperscalers increasingly focus on the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Oceania markets, Oman stands to gain from increased data traffic, investments in digital infrastructure, and new opportunities within data-driven industries.
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Google’s launch of the Dhivaru subsea cable system reinforces Oman’s strategic position as a critical digital gateway, enhancing network resilience and low-latency connectivity vital for AI and cloud adoption. For businesses and investors, this means accelerated opportunities in digital trade, fintech, and AI-driven services, while the strengthened infrastructure reduces operational risks linked to connectivity disruptions. Smart investors should now consider Oman as a prime hub for digital infrastructure ventures, capitalizing on the country’s growing importance in regional and global data flows.
