New Delhi: The leaders of India, Saudi Arabia and the US are discussing a possible infrastructure deal that involves railroads and ports. This move by the White House is a response to China’s increasing influence in the Middle East through Beijing’s Belt and Road vision.
The Biden administration is aiming to finalise a major deal with Saudi Arabia, potentially involving a normalisation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, before the 2024 election season takes centre stage for US President, Joe Biden.
The aim of the project is to create a network of railways that connects Arab nations in the Levant (referring to Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria) and the Gulf (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE). According to the sources, this network will have links to India through Gulf seaports.
This initiative can be traced back to discussions between the group I2U2, which comprises the US, Israel, the UAE and India, spanning over the past 18 months. This forum was established in late 2021, as a counterweight to China’s increasing influence in the Middle East, with the objective of exploring strategic infrastructure projects.
Israel proposed the idea of regional railway connections during the I2U2 meetings. According to a source, this plan will depend on India’s expertise in large-scale infrastructure projects.