EQUINIX & OMANTEL
Judith Gardiner and Sohail Qadir discuss their companies ’ joint venture to bring an unprecedented level of connectivity to the Middle East
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P erched at the easterly edge of the Arabian Peninsula , where the Gulf meets the Indian Ocean , the Sultanate of Oman sits at the crossroads of Africa , Asia , the Middle East and Europe . Positioned as it is , Oman is uniquely suited to serve as an interconnection hub for the entire Middle East region , as well as the wider world beyond . “ The positioning of Oman is excellent ,” says Judith Gardiner , Vice President of Growth and Emerging Markets at Equinix .
Sohail Qadir , Vice President of the Wholesale Business Unit at Oman ’ s largest and leading telecom operator , Omantel , agrees . “ This region is becoming highly connected ,” he affirms . “ Our location between Europe and Asia means that all the subsea cables that connect Asia to Europe , or Asia to Africa and so on , pass through the Middle East . We are becoming a hub for interconnection .”
In 2018 , Omantel and Equinix embarked on a historic joint venture . Over the past couple of years , the data centre giant and Omani telecom leader have worked together to build a world-class , carrier-neutral data centre hub and international business exchange
DECEMBER 2020