The US State Department said on Monday that it is “closely monitoring” the situation after severed cables in the Red Sea significantly slowed internet speeds in parts of the Middle East, India and Pakistan at the weekend.
A State Department representative told The National that the US is acutely aware of the vital importance of undersea cables for commerce, communications and security around the world.
As of Sunday evening connectivity had improved but, for much of Saturday, users in countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia reported connectivity had slowed to a crawl.
For some in the region speeds have not yet returned to normal and experts warn it could stay that way for up to six weeks owing to the complexities with repairing cable repairs under water.
Even if accidental, identifying what or who severed the cables could prove difficult, with ships using false GPS positioning to avoid being attacked.
Although there is no indication the severed cables were the result of an attack, it has long been feared that underwater cables could become targets.
Recent turmoil in the Middle East has increased those fears. In the Red Sea, a critical telecoms route, it has been feared that Yemen’s Houthi rebels might try to cut cables, although the Iran-backed group has previously denied carrying out such acts.
But many occurrences of severed cables in recent years have been accidents, caused by anchors dropped by ships or debris dragged by vessels.
For large companies that depend on reliable internet, cable damage can be costly.
Technology giant Microsoft, which was one of the first to report slow internet speeds throughout the Middle East at the weekend, said it maintained network traffic by rerouting it through alternative network paths for its Azure cloud computing business.
“We do expect higher latency on some traffic that previously traversed through the Middle East … Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” Microsoft said.
Meanwhile, technology companies such as Cloudera, which calls itself a “hybrid data platform”, said lessons should be learnt from the Red Sea cable cuts.
“An hour of internet outage can cost millions in banking, retail and aviation,” the company said. It added that businesses should “now invest in data platforms that reroute and adapt instantly”.
But for average users, even with alternative routes, cut cables can still cause problems. When the internet services that rely on the cables were put under pressure, users flocked to 5G, which in turn strained those services.
In March 2024, at least three subsea cables were cut, affecting internet traffic in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The US government found that the anchor from the Rubymar, a ship the Houthis had critically damaged, had dragged along the seabed and cut the cables.
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Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
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It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
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Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
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Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
