US President Joe Biden and his counterparts from India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE plan to announce a major collaborative infrastructure project on Saturday, connecting the Gulf and Arab countries via a train network, as Axios reported.
Leaders of US, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE hope to announce major railway deal that will connect Gulf and Arab countries during #G20Summit in New Delhi — Axios pic.twitter.com/6OibLw1K2R
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 7, 2023
Railway Deal
The project would connect Arab nations in the Levant and the Gulf with a network of trains that will also connect to India via seaports in the Gulf, sources stated.
Axios initially reported that discussions for the project were underway in May, when White House National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan travelled to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with his Saudi, Emirati, and Indian counterparts.
Reports indicate that the project was one of the main issues discussed at that meeting, which kicked off a series of follow-up conversations coordinated from the American side by Biden’s senior assistant for energy and infrastructure, Amos Hochstein.
According to Axios, sources claim that the leaders discussed the concept for the new project over the last 18 months in a different conference called I2U2, which brings together the US, Israel, the UAE, and India.
During last year’s I2U2 sessions, Israel suggested connecting the region by railways. According to an insider, using India’s experience on such large infrastructure projects was part of the plan.
Additionally, Axios reported that if the four nations reach an agreement in the next two days, the leaders will sign a memorandum of understanding defining the project’s parameters.
G 20 in India | On US planning to announce a major rail deal with India and UAE, Saudi to connect both the Gulf countries and Arab countries with this major railway network, White House NSA Jake Sullivan says "I can’t confirm anything right now. This is an initiative that we have… pic.twitter.com/oXrPmLldSC
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
Importance of Railway Deal
The project is one of the most significant initiatives the White House is considering in the Middle East to counter China’s growing influence, the report said. The Middle East is essential to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Reports suggest that Biden is set to announce the joint railway project as one of the primary deliverables at the G20 Summit in New Delhi this weekend.
Similarly, Sullivan noted that regional integration is an essential component of the Biden administration’s Middle East agenda. The American NSA stated, “A more integrated, interconnected Middle East empowers our allies and partners, advances regional peace and prosperity, and reduces the resource demands on the US in this region over the long term without sacrificing our fundamental interests or our involvement in the region.”
The Biden Administration is working to finalise its diplomatic push for a mega-deal with Saudi Arabia, which sources reveal might help in the normalisation agreement between the Kingdom and Israel before the 2024 US election campaign dominates Biden’s agenda.
Furthermore, the sources indicated that if Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise their relations in the future, Israel might join the railway project and expand its reach to Europe via Israeli seaports.
The project’s launch will likely improve the possibilities of a brief bilateral meeting between Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the G20, the report concluded.