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 Israel has steadfastly defended for several years.
The project will involve first transporting goods by sea, from India to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Then by train 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. However, in reality, since October 7, it has been difficult to imagine the construction of a railway line across Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. The site “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 operationalize IMEC, for the India – Middle East – Europe Corridor.
Firstly because the railway network connecting members of the Gulf Cooperation Council still has to be built. So, is the India-Middle East-Mediterranean corridor profitable? Lastly, because of the conflict between Israel and Gaza, neither Saudi Arabia, let alone Jordan, which hosts a very large Palestinian population on its territory, is willing to support the IMEC corridor, which would most likely benefit Israel.
