du, the leading telecom and digital services provider, today announced, through its datamena ecosystem platform, together with DE-CIX, the global leader in Internet Exchange (IX) operations, announced a major milestone for UAE-IX. The leading Internet Exchange in the Middle East has reached a peak traffic rate of 1 Terabit per second (Tbit/s). The announcement was made at GITEX Global 2025, where du is showcasing under the theme “AI’s not just the future. With us, it shapes your next step.”

The Exchange is the largest IX in the region that provides a neutral and highly resilient interconnection ecosystem that brings together global carriers, cloud providers, enterprises, and content platforms. By keeping regional Internet traffic local, UAE-IX significantly reduces latency, enhances performance, and improves the digital experience for millions of users across the UAE and the wider Middle East.

With more than 110 connected networks and over 6 terabits of aggregated capacity, UAE-IX has grown into the largest Internet Exchange in the region. It is also the first in the Middle East to reach one Tbps peak traffic for the first time in the region — driven solely by customer traffic, reflecting its commitment to innovation and scalability.

H. E. Engineer Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) said: “This traffic milestone is a clear demonstration of the success of UAE-IX and the important role it plays in the digital ecosystem. By enabling faster, more resilient, and cost-efficient interconnection, the UAE IX ensures that data flows seamlessly between networks, supports innovation, and enhances the overall online experience for businesses and communities alike”

Enterprises benefit from a broad suite of interconnection services including peering, cloud exchange, cloud routing, and advanced security features such as blackholing for DDoS mitigation. These capabilities make UAE-IX a critical digital hub, empowering businesses and service providers to scale seamlessly, optimize costs, and deliver cutting-edge services to their customers.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Executive Officer at du said: “The record-setting performance of UAE-IX is a pivotal moment for the digitization of the Middle East. The milestone of 1 Tbit/s is a significant achievement in our mission to build a future-forward digital ecosystem in the UAE. The sustained investment in infrastructure and technology has positioned UAE-IX as the foundation for the country’s digital transformation. It also reflects our journey to excellence and our strategic foresight in catering to the networking demands of tomorrow.”

Together with DE-CIX, this milestone is crucial to providing robust and resilient interconnection solutions, which are essential for entities in key sectors seeking secure, low-latency connections for their digital transformation initiatives. The customer-centric approach ensures that all partners and businesses have access to the best solutions to meet the rigors of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, said: “This recent achievement underscores the critical role of UAE-IX, powered by DE-CIX, in the Middle Eastern digital ecosystem, by integrating network operators, content and application providers, and cloud services to deliver resilient and low-latency connectivity across the GCC region. Our partnership du Business with its datamena platform has established UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX as the premier Internet Exchange in the Middle East. We anticipate further advancements as we collaboratively forge the infrastructure for the future.”

DE-CIX, boasting the globe’s largest neutral interconnection ecosystem, has been influential in the Middle East for over a decade. It manages leading Internet Exchanges (IXs) in Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, as well as Turkey. In Dubai, it operates UAE-IX under its ‘DE-CIX as a Service’ (DaaS) model, which provides comprehensive services—including installation, maintenance, and marketing support—to enable partners to establish their fully-managed Internet Exchange and interconnection platforms.