ZOI Hosts Middle East GCCM to Discuss Middle Eastern Connectivity

With over 1,000 participants from more than 200 telecom and technology companies across 70 countries, last week’s 11th Global Carrier Community Meeting (Middle East GCCM) brought together key players in international wholesale marking it as one of the biggest global events of its nature in the region. Co-hosted by Omantel, Oman’s leading telecommunications and ICT provider, and Zain Omantel International (ZOI), the Middle East premier wholesale telecom provider, the event took place at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat.

This year’s ME GCCM highlighted the growing importance of Salalah, a key coastal city in the southern area of Oman, as a connectivity hub for the region, driven by Omantel’s investments in digital infrastructure and subsea cables as well as attracting foreign direct investment into the technology sector. A key feature of the event was the newly launched SN1 Carrier-Neutral Data Center, developed in partnership with Equinix, which strengthens Salalah’s role as a digital bridge connecting Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. The new centre will significantly reshape traffic flows, reducing latency and improving the resilience of global networks.

Over the past decade, Omantel has invested over USD 1 billion in international networks and data centers, successfully attracting global hyperscalers to establish their regional hubs in Oman. On the global level, the creation of the joint venture Zain Omantel International (ZOI) marks a significant step forward for the international business, creating a leading force in the wholesale telecom sector, delivering end-to-end connectivity solutions across the Middle East and beyond.

The event also featured masterclasses from Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provided insights into submarine cable technology, cloud computing, and AI.

Omantel Wholesale is the international and domestic wholesale arm of Oman Telecommunications Company S.A.O.G. (Omantel), the first and leading integrated telecommunications and technology solutions provider in Oman.

Founded in 1970, Omantel is a joint-stock company listed in Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) and is 51% owned by Oman Investment Authority (OIA), a wholly owned investment arm of the Omani government.

Omantel has investments in 20+ submarine cable systems globally, 5 unique submarine cable landing stations in Oman, and outbound connectivity of multiple terrestrial links to neighboring countries. It is the first and only GCC carrier to land a submarine cable in Europe.

Omantel’s Wholesale capitalizes on ultra-low latency networks to enable innovation and digital transformation globally, utilizing Oman’s geographic advantage at the absolute nexus of the east, west, north, and south to enable its customers and partners to deliver their services with the best possible end-user experience.

Zain Omantel International (ZOI) is the Middle East’s premier wholesale powerhouse serving regional operators, international carriers, global hyperscalers and cloud providers seeking services within the region and beyond.

The first-of-its-kind joint venture signifies a substantial advancement in the telecommunications industry and is poised to become a global powerhouse due to Zain's extensive regional presence and success in the retail and digital arenas, combined with Omantel’s exceptional wholesale capabilities and comprehensive international subsea and terrestrial networks. ZOI manages all international wholesale requirements of Zain and Omantel operations in eight countries, serving over 50 million customers.