Saudi Arabia Seeks to Reroute IMEC Through Syria, Bypassing Israel

Saudi Arabia is promoting an initiative to remove Israel from the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project and reroute the transportation corridor through Syria instead, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a major infrastructure initiative designed to transport goods between the Indian subcontinent and Europe through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Greece. The project was announced by U. S. President Joe Biden during the G20 Summit in September 2023. The original concept envisioned a railway running through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel as part of a broader normalization process between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Cargo would then be shipped to Europe through the Israeli port of Haifa.