---
title: e& and DE-CIX team to create Middle Eastern IX ecosystem - Developing Telecoms
description: UAE-based e& Carrier & Wholesale says it is partnering with global internet exchange operator DE-CIX to create an IX ecosystem in the Middle East that they also claim will turn the UAE into a major interconnection hub.
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date: 2025-01-23T06:44:49Z
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UAE-based e& Carrier & Wholesale says it is partnering with global internet exchange operator DE-CIX to create an IX ecosystem in the Middle East that they also claim will turn the UAE into a major interconnection hub.

Under the partnership deal announced on Tuesday, e& will connect its SmartHub IX data centres across the Middle East directly to DE-CIX’s global network and international internet exchanges, which span nearly 60 locations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Asia, and Africa.

Nabil Baccouche, group chief carrier and wholesale officer at e&, said the collaboration will boost SmartHub IX’s operations by expanding its reach.

“With low-latency connectivity, SmartHub IX will ensure that information is transmitted and processed with minimal delay, enabling a more agile and efficient digital ecosystem,” he said in a statement.

DE-CIX CEO Ivo Ivanov added that the partnership will not only give the Middle East region the digital infrastructure it needs to forge closer local, regional, and international ties, but also enhance the broader Middle East IX ecosystem by interconnecting it with other IX systems.

“Direct connectivity between SmartHub IX powered by DE-CIX and DE-CIX’s IXs in India unites two highly valuable markets and connects the UAE even more strongly with global interconnection ecosystems,” Ivanov said. “Together with UAE-IX, also powered by DE-CIX, the Middle East will benefit from the best IX ecosystem in the area.”

Ivanov added that the deal also “positions the UAE as the hotspot of interconnection for the entire region, taking the Middle East to the next level.”

The DE-CIX partnership comes as e& makes moves to boost its SmartHub IX business via a remote peering service in collaboration with multiple IXs in the region. E& said its working to scale this to a global level to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of network operations for businesses and service providers.

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