How does a gamer in saudi arabia have worse ping to a server in london compared to an american across the atlantic

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Last updated: April 8, 2026

Quick Answer: A gamer in Saudi Arabia experiences worse ping to London servers than an American across the Atlantic due to longer physical distances and suboptimal routing infrastructure. The direct distance from Riyadh to London is approximately 5,000 km, while New York to London is about 5,600 km, but Middle Eastern internet traffic often routes through congested hubs like Frankfurt or Marseille, adding latency. Additionally, Saudi Arabia's internet infrastructure relies heavily on undersea cables like the Europe India Gateway (EIG), which can have higher latency than transatlantic cables like MAREA, which offers lower latency due to more direct paths and advanced technology.

Key Facts

The direct distance from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to London, UK is approximately 5,000 km, while New York, USA to London is about 5,600 km.
Middle Eastern internet traffic to Europe often routes through congested hubs such as Frankfurt, Germany or Marseille, France, adding extra hops and latency.
Saudi Arabia relies on undersea cables like the Europe India Gateway (EIG), operational since 2011, which can have higher latency due to longer paths and older technology.
Transatlantic cables like MAREA, operational since 2018, offer lower latency with more direct routes and advanced fiber-optic technology, reducing ping for American gamers.
Internet routing protocols and geopolitical factors can cause traffic from Saudi Arabia to take indirect paths, increasing round-trip time (RTT) compared to more optimized transatlantic routes.

Overview

In online gaming, ping, measured in milliseconds (ms), represents the round-trip time for data packets to travel between a user's device and a game server, directly affecting responsiveness and gameplay quality. Historically, internet infrastructure has evolved since the 1990s with the expansion of undersea cables and routing protocols, but disparities persist due to geographic and technological factors. For instance, the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858, but modern fiber-optic cables, such as those deployed in the 2000s, have revolutionized data transmission. In the Middle East, countries like Saudi Arabia have invested in infrastructure, but challenges like routing inefficiencies and reliance on older cables contribute to higher latency compared to regions like North America, where transatlantic connections are more optimized. Specific events, such as the launch of the Europe India Gateway in 2011, aimed to improve connectivity, but latency issues remain for gamers due to the complex interplay of distance, routing, and cable technology.

How It Works

Ping is determined by the physical distance data must travel and the efficiency of the routing path, which involves internet service providers (ISPs) and undersea cables. From Saudi Arabia to London, data typically traverses multiple hops: it might exit via undersea cables like the EIG, route through hubs in Europe such as Frankfurt or Marseille, and then proceed to London, adding latency due to congestion and indirect paths. In contrast, from the U.S. East Coast to London, data often uses direct transatlantic cables like MAREA, which have shorter, more optimized routes with fewer intermediate points. Routing protocols, such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), dynamically select paths based on factors like cost and reliability, but they may not prioritize low latency, leading to suboptimal routes for Middle Eastern traffic. Additionally, network congestion at peak times and infrastructure limitations, such as older cable technology with higher signal attenuation, further degrade ping for Saudi gamers compared to Americans.

Why It Matters

High ping negatively impacts gaming experiences by causing lag, delayed inputs, and unfair competitive disadvantages, which can frustrate players and affect esports performance. For gamers in regions like Saudi Arabia, this can limit participation in global tournaments and reduce enjoyment of real-time multiplayer games. Beyond gaming, latency issues highlight broader internet inequality, influencing economic activities like remote work and streaming, where low latency is crucial. Addressing these disparities through infrastructure upgrades, such as deploying new cables or optimizing routing, can enhance digital inclusion and support growing online communities. In practical terms, understanding ping dynamics helps gamers choose servers strategically and advocates for better connectivity, emphasizing the importance of global internet infrastructure in fostering equitable digital access.