India, US, Saudi, UAE May ink a Mega railway deal

Connecting rail route from India to Europe via the Middle East is critical and has both economic and strategic benefits.

The US, Saudi Arabia, India, and other countries are contemplating a prospective infrastructure deal that might restructure trade between the Gulf and South Asia by connecting Middle Eastern countries via trains and connecting to India by port, according to US officials aware of the conversations.

The project is one of the most important initiatives promoted by the White House in the Middle East as China's influence grows in the region. The Middle East is key to China's Belt and Road Initiative. This weekend's G20 Summit in New Delhi will see Biden present the collaborative railway project as one of the key deliverables. It comes as the Biden administration strives to conclude its diplomatic push for a mega-deal with Saudi Arabia, which may include a normalization accord between the kingdom and Israel, before Biden's agenda is consumed by the 2024 presidential campaign.

According to the sources, the concept for the new project arose through discussions held over the last 18 months in another group dubbed I2U2, which comprises the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and India. Furthermore, connecting rail route from India to Europe via the Middle East is critical and has both economic and strategic benefits.