There is a conflict going on between US and Iran. Tension is increasing in the Strait of Hormuz. This is affecting the global energy and trade system. In such a situation, Donald Trump has now expressed his support for the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC). He has stressed the need to create another route for energy supply in the Middle East. The incident occurred 20 days after he praised a media report in which he called for Syria to be used as a transit route to transport oil and gas from Gulf countries to the Mediterranean Sea. However, attention has been drawn to what role Saudi Arabia will play in making this route a reality.
Why is IMEC important?
IMEC is an economic and transport corridor that connects India to Europe via the Gulf countries. IMEC connects India to the United Arab Emirates by sea route. After that, the goods will be delivered to Fujairah Port in UAE. Beyond Fujairah, the emirate is connected by rail to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. From there, it is connected to Europe by ship via Haifa Port.
IMEC's route avoids both the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal-Red Sea, making it less likely to be affected by conflicts in West Asia. Fujairah is outside the Strait of Hormuz and in the Gulf of Oman. Because of this it has become the target of Iranian missiles.
Saudi Arabia's role is vital in making IMEC a reality. President Trump had expressed his desire to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia and sell F-35 fighter jets worth $24 billion to Saudi Arabia. However, the Israel–Hamas war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023. This affected the IMEC project. IMEC also faced political and security-related obstacles to implementation. Because of this, the IMEC project itself was put on hold. When will the IMEC project become a reality?
The 'IMEC' project envisioned by Prime Minister Modi and the UAE leadership can become a reality only if Saudi Arabia joins it, keeping aside the burden of old equations like 'Sunni NATO' (Makkah Pact) and reducing the threat posed by Iran and its proxies in the region, Houthi in the south and Hezbollah in the north. Now, everyone's focus is on what role Saudi Arabia will play.
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