Saudi Arabia wants to replace Israel with Syria as the transit country for a fiber-optic cable designed to connect the kingdom to Greece through the Mediterranean Sea, two regional officials familiar with the project told Middle East Eye. Saudi Arabia’s insistence that it be connected to Greece through Syria, and not Israel, as previously discussed, underscores how regional alignments are shifting as Riyadh looks to bolster Damascus’s standing in the region and potentially isolate Israel. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, where over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed. Riyadh is also at odds with the UAE, Israel’s closest Arab partner, in Yemen, Sudan, and the Red Sea. Athens is trying to position itself as a hub between Europe and the Middle East for energy, real estate and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Greece has courted Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia for investment, but it is particularly close to Israel, which policymakers in Athens view as an ally against Turkey, and an insurance policy to keep the US engaged in the Eastern Mediterranean. Saudi Arabia’s shift on the project could throw a wrench in Greece’s relationship with Israel, if it is indeed snubbed in the new route. Fiber-optic cables carry essential digital services […]