https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2516-439X
Figures & data
Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the basic structure of autonomous systems (ASeS).
A schematic graph showing different types of autonomous systems (ASes) (ISPs, transit providers, content delivery networks, enterprise network), and their possible interconnections (peering or customer-to-provider). The ASes are structured as a hierarchical pyramid where Tier 3 ASes are at the bottom, Tier 2 in the middle and Tier 1 at the top.
Figure 2. Internal connectivity of the Gulf Region, 2021.
The graph is made up of two big clusters. On the right, the autonomous systems (ASes) of Iran are separated from the rest; on the left, the cluster is made of five subclusters of the ASes of Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain–Oman–Qatar. They have few connections between them. At the centre, one big node from Bahrain is connected to numerous other ASes.
Figure 3. Connectivity of Qatar within the Gulf Region, 2015.
The graph shows the autonomous systems (ASes) of Qatar and the three among them that are connected to foreign ASes in the Gulf. Two of them are only connected to separate AS from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The third one, AS8781, is connected to most of the other Qatari ASes, and to four ASes of Bahrain, three of Saudi Arabia and two from Kuwait.
Figure 4. Connectivity of Qatar within the Gulf Region, 2019.
This graph shows the autonomous systems (ASes) of Qatar and two among them have connections with foreign ASes in the Gulf. One Qatari AS is connected to one AS in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to one Bahraini AS, Zain. The other one is connected to one Emirati AS, one Bahraini AS and one Kuwaiti AS.
Figure 5. Connectivity of Qatar within the Gulf Region, 2021.
This graph shows the autonomous systems (ASes) of Qatar and the two among them with connections to foreign ASes in the Gulf. One is connected to one Bahraini AS, the other is connected to one Emirati AS, one Bahrain AS and one Kuwaiti AS.
Figure 6. Internal connectivity of the Gulf Region and Israel, 2021.
This graph is similar to Figure 1, but with a third cluster for Israel. This cluster is on the opposite side of Iran, on the left of the Gulf cluster. Three autonomous systems (ASes) of Israel are connected to Gulf countries, only through the Bahraini AS of Zain.
Figure 7. Internal connectivity of the Gulf Region and Israel, 2015.
This graph shows three big clusters. In the centre there is a central cluster made of three subclusters: one of the Iraqi autonomous systems (ASes), one of the Emirati ASes, and one at the centre with ASes of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. On the right, a separate big cluster for Iran is connected to the centre through an Omani AS. On the upper-left side, very far from the other countries, the Israeli cluster is not connected to them.
Figure 8. Connectivity of the Gulf Region and their neighbours, 2021.
The graph has at its centre a complex and diverse cluster of mostly foreign autonomous systems (ASes), with a few local important ASes from Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia mostly. The cluster is surrounded with smaller clusters of ASes from different countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq. On the far right of the graph, most of Iran’s ASes form a separate cluster. One big AS from Iran, AS4966, is the only one very close to the Gulf and Foreign ASes.
Figure 9. Connectivity of the Gulf Region, Israel and their neighbours, 2021.
This graph is very similar to Figure 7. However, autonomous systems (ASes) from Israel form different subclusters that are scattered close on the upper-left part of the central cluster. Some Israeli ASes are mixed with the central cluster, and others are located between countries’ subclusters, such as between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, or UAE and Kuwait.
Figure 10. Connectivity of the Gulf Region and their neighbours, 2015.
This graph shows a central cluster of mostly foreign autonomous systems (ASes) and big ASes from Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq and Qatar. The clusters of the ASes of most Gulf countries surround it but they appear more scattered and mixed between them. On the right, the cluster of Iran is also somewhat scattered, but also closer to the central cluster, and it is connected to it through two different ASes.
