Saudi Arabia is examining alternatives to the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) trade corridor, including routing it through Syria and excluding Israel, according to two sources who spoke to i24NEWS. The move, referred to as the 'Peace Railway' plan, reflects stalled normalization talks and the ongoing Gaza war, the sources said.
i24NEWS reported Wednesday night that Saudi Arabia is advancing a plan to exclude Israel from the strategic IMEC trade corridor, known in Hebrew as the 'Peace Railway,' and is examining alternatives that would route the corridor through Syria instead. The report, by Amichai Stein, cites two sources familiar with the matter. The sources said Riyadh's shift reflects the stalled normalization process with Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza.
Earlier Wednesday, The Zioneer reported on the Saudi plan, noting that the move is driven by normalization woes and maritime security threats in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. The Zioneer has also reported on a rival trade corridor being advanced by Turkey and Syria that would bypass Israel entirely, as well as a broader competition between Israel and Turkey over regional trade routes.
No official confirmation has been issued by the Saudi government or the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. The development underscores the geopolitical fallout from the Gaza war on Israel's regional integration efforts.
3 developments
- DevelopingTurkey, Syria advancing rival trade corridor to bypass Israel, report says
- DevelopingTurkish minister says Saudi Arabia will connect to Turkey via rail through Jordan within 3-4 years
- DevelopingReport: US considers withdrawing troops from Saudi Arabia amid tensions over Iran war
- DevelopingN12 analyst: Turkey, Israel in all-out race over rival IMEC trade corridors
Source and signal
- Internal intake