Although Israel and Saudi Arabia still don't share peace, they're about to be connected via fiber-optic cable.
On Tuesday, Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel and representatives from Google are expected to announce the official launch of the "Blue Raman" route that will link the two countries and which is part of a larger internet infrastructure project that will ultimately connect Europe with India.
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The underwater cable project, named after Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, will be more than 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) long and is expected to cost $400 million. It will begin in Italy and then pass over Israel before reaching Saudi Arabia, Oman and finally India.
The 16 fiber-optic cables to be used in the Blue Raman project will be capable of transmitting massive amounts of data and will significantly upgrade Israel's digital connection with the rest of the world.
No less important – and similar to the oil pipeline linking Israel's southern Red Sea port of Eilat to the city of Ashkelon on the Mediterranean Sea, which is intended to be used to expedite oil supplies from the Persian Gulf to Europe – the fiber-optic cables will also cross Israel on land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and from there, as stated, to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and finally India.
The Blue Raman route is expected to be completed in three years.
Beyond the technological aspects of the global project and the benefits it will provide in that regard, the selection of Israel as the "conduit" country is diplomatically and geopolitically significant.
Officials familiar with the details told Israel Hayom that the project solidifies Israel's importance as a bridge country between Asia and Europe.
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