At a time when the Houthis are disrupting access to the Red Sea, India and Israel want to relaunch the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor.
How to avoid the Red Sea and Yemen's Houthi attacks? How not to pay taxes when crossing the Suez Canal? India is trying to offer a logistics chain that combines maritime and rail. An idea that has been persistently defended for several years by Israel.
The project would involve transporting goods first by sea, from India to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Then by rail from Saudi Arabia to Israel, to Haifa Port, via the Emirates and Jordan. A journey of 2,117 kilometers, to the Mediterranean to “reach Piraeus by sea”.
India-Israel Corridor
In theory, why not. But in reality, since October 7, it is difficult to imagine the construction of a railway line crossing Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. The website “Ports and Corridors”, which specializes in maritime transport and port logistics, speaks of a “fantastic but futureless adventure”, if not “wishful thinking”. Although India and the UAE have signed an agreement to operate IMEC, for the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor.
Firstly, because the railway network connecting the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council has yet to be built. Then, is this India-Middle East-Mediterranean corridor profitable? Finally, because of the conflict between Israel and Gaza, neither Saudi Arabia, let alone Jordan, which hosts a very large Palestinian population in its territory, is willing to support the IMEC corridor, which would most likely benefit Israel.
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