Saudi Arabia’s Water Transmission Company (WTCO) and Etihad Salam Telecom Company have signed a memorandum to explore connectivity services and digital infrastructure opportunities. WTCO published the announcement on 3 September 2026 and said the partnership was presented at LEAP 2026, without giving a separate calendar day for that event. The source date is therefore the reference used here. The memorandum establishes a framework for exploring commercial opportunities using the two companies’ respective infrastructure and capabilities, with reliable and scalable high-capacity connectivity among the objectives.

The planned assessment covers technical and commercial feasibility. The partners will examine infrastructure requirements, potential routes, interconnection options and delivery models before deciding how opportunities could be developed. The announcement does not identify a completed fibre route or a construction award. Its distinction between evaluation and delivery matters because the memorandum concerns the potential use of complementary assets: it is a cooperation framework, rather than a reported expansion of the telecom network that is already available to customers.

WTCO’s representatives described the partnership as a way to improve the value obtained from national infrastructure assets while supporting digital transformation. Salam highlighted the potential for complementary infrastructure to broaden network reach, scalability and resilience. Both statements set out the purpose of the cooperation, rather than measured results. The announcement supplies no investment value, length of cable to be laid or additional connection capacity. It also does not say that telecommunications equipment has already been installed along a particular water transmission line.

The water company’s existing responsibilities provide context for the assessment. WTCO is wholly owned by the Saudi government and was established in September 2019. It manages and develops water transmission, conveyance and storage systems, including operation and maintenance. Its operating network encompasses seven transmission systems on the eastern and western coasts, branching to beneficiary regions. Monitoring, preventive and corrective maintenance, emergency preparation and technical records are among its stated functions. These describe WTCO’s water infrastructure duties independently of the proposed telecom cooperation. The new memorandum brings together a water operator and a telecommunications company to evaluate possible connectivity uses of their assets; further technical and commercial decisions would determine any project that follows.