^2nd August 2021, Qatar – GBI (Gulf Bridge International), a global cloud, connectivity and content enabler, and Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company, are building on their longstanding relationship by expanding collaboration and establishing a new deployment for GBI at the Equinix data center in Oman.

Since 2015, GBI has benefitted greatly from connections in key European Equinix data centre locations in both Amsterdam and Frankfurt and so GBI’s new presence at Equinix MC1 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) in Muscat will build on this success, enhancing both its IP Transit and Cloud Connect products and providing customers with greater connectivity throughout the Middle East and onwards.

Equinix MC1 IBX® is a carrier-neutral hub in Oman and one of the largest in the region, where carriers, cloud providers and content providers can colocate critical IT infrastructure. It serves as a regional interconnection hub providing ultra-low latency connection points between key global business markets. For GBI this means improved quality of its IP Transit and Cloud Connect products.

GBI IP Transit already covers the entire GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) and has equal or lower average hop count than other Tier 1s. Moreover, GBI’s Cloud Connect offering provides a fully protected premium to GCC and can support network topology seamlessly, resulting in an unbeatable low latency private access to the cloud. The connection to Equinix MC1 will improve performance further, supporting digital transformation in the Middle Eastern enterprise market.

Brendan Press, CCO of GBI, comments: “Recent Equinix research shows almost two thirds (60%) of digital leaders in the UAE have accelerated their digital transformation plans, all of which has to be underpinned by reliable and trusted connectivity. As such, GBI’s presence at the Equinix MC1 datacentre will be highly valuable. It’s important to be building on our relationship so we can offer customers the lowest latency access to secure cloud services in the region; it will bolster our IP Transit and Cloud Connect products to serve customer’s digital transformation needs.”.

Cengiz Oztelcan, CEO of GBI adds: “GBI has been connected to Equinix datacentres in Amsterdam and Frankfurt since 2015 and we’re excited to be taking our partnership to the next level. Together we are fully committed to serving our Gulf and Middle Eastern customers and the MC1 datacentre will help the region thrive. Customers are demanding more content and a greater experience as the next wave of digital transformation gathers momentum, and we are fully prepared for this shift. We are entering a highly exciting era of connectivity and it’s amazing to be at the forefront of this.”

Kamel Al-Tawil, Managing Director for Middle East and North Africa at Equinix, said: “Putting digital infrastructure at the center of the business strategy requires the support of a dynamic digital infrastructure. Businesses need a simple way to bring together digital infrastructure that encompasses a choice of multiple providers, distributed geographies and hybrid multicloud architectures. These are the areas Equinix has been devoted to, and we strive to meet businesses’ evolving needs.”

About Gulf Bridge International (GBI)

Founded in 2008, GBI is a global cloud, connectivity, and content enabler that owns and operates a smart and fully managed network. GBI’s multilayer terrestrial and subsea cable meshed network bridges the East to the West through the Middle East, empowers businesses, connects societies, and contributes to the region’s accelerated digital transformation. GBI is a carrier of choice for telecom operators, ISPs and governments throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia offering capacity and a portfolio of wholesale and enterprise services. GBI’s value propositions and diverse offerings serve as a catalyst to growth, innovation and contribute to the economic development within the region and beyond. In 2016, GBI won five industry awards for Best Submarine Cable Operator, Best Middle Eastern Wholesale Carrier – Data, Telecoms Company of the year – Qatar, Most Innovative Company – Qatar and an Innovation Award for Network Infrastructure – UK. For more information visit: https://gbiinc.com/