By PRESS RELEASE

Dubai, UAE, 13 August 2014: Momentum is gathering in the lead up to SubOptic 2016 – the premier conference for the global submarine cable industry – as hosts E-marine, the principal provider of submarine cable solutions in the Middle East, announces the event will take place from the 18^th to 21^st of April 2016 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai UAE. This will be the first time the event has taken place in the Middle East in its 30 year history.

Preparations in Dubai for the next SubOptic, the ninth in the series, are firmly underway with over 1,000 attendees expected to visit the event in 2016 to discuss the future of the subsea communication industry. One of the highlights of the submarine cable industry calendar, the event is held every three years, ‘organised by the industry, for the industry’.

Omar Jassim Bin Kalban, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of E-marine, said: “The backdrop of Dubai, UAE, with its excellent global connections and world-class hospitality industry, offers the perfect location for this global gathering. SubOptic is the world’s leading submarine cable event and will have a strong focus on the future of the industry in the Middle East region. SubOptic 2016 will focus on the future of the industry and we will receive the latest insights, trends and strategies from global experts on the submarine communications world. We are proud to welcome these experts to the Middle East, especially on SubOptic’s 30^th anniversary and showcase the region’s capabilities in this field.”

In recent years, the Middle East region has seen an enormous expansion in the construction and announcement of new submarine cable systems and competing terrestrial systems, and the total demand for international capacity from the Gulf countries has shown significant growth. The main drivers of this surge in activity are an increase of broadband penetration and availability, mobile penetration, and an increase in digital content consumption and the emergence of local content.

Yves Ruggeri, President of SubOptic, said: “We are extremely excited about the next SubOptic taking place in Dubai in 2016. The UAE, with the support of E-marine, has been one of the key players in the development and expansion of the submarine communication industry in the region in recent years. We look forward to discussing the future of the industry in one of its most important global markets.”

SubOptic is the premier submarine cable conference in the industry and will showcase fibre optic communications cabling to the region. Taking place every three years, the event attracts over 1,000 attendees from over 200 organizations that include cable and component manufacturers, network and system capacity purchasers, business analysts, regulators, financiers and investors.

Ends

About E-marine

E-marine is the trusted principal provider of submarine cable solutions in the Middle East and Sub Continent. With over 25 years of submarine cabling experience, E-marine has pioneered the development of the region’s subsea cable infrastructure through its wide range of reliable solutions for the telecommunications and off-shore energy industries.

With unrivalled expertise in submarine cable installation and maintenance, E-marine’s highly competent professionals also undertake submarine route surveys, cable transportation, consultancy, ROV inspection and burial and related operations for regional and international clients across the globe. The company has a fleet of three fully equipped cable ships and a special purpose vehicle with strategically located cable and storage depots in Hamriyah, UAE and Salalah, Oman.

About SubOptic:

SubOptic is a non-profit, non-incorporated international organization, which is steered and sponsored by leading members of the telecommunications industry. Its activities are open to every level of the industry. It is responsible for arranging the most important international conference within the industry and SubOptic 2016 will be the ninth in a series starting in 1986. These events are regularly attended by hundreds of experts from around the world.

Media Contacts: