Trade corridor deal between India and UAE paves way for new rail projects
14 February 2024
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, during a reception at the Presidential Airport, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 13 February, 2024. (Image: Ryan Carter/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via Reuters)
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed an agreement to develop a trade corridor connection Europe with India through the Middle East.
The proposed India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEEC) was originally announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi last year. The corridor would link up the regions via sea and rail, raising the prospect of new high-speed railway construction projects.
The new framework agreement between the UAE and India revealed few details about what the two sides had agreed upon and it only mentions the two powers.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan said at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Today, our region is going through a difficult time but because of our relationship with you, we are building a lot of hope and looking forward to a future with India that is on par with our ambitions.”
His comments reflected the instability in the Middle East amid the four-month-long war in Gaza that has hampered US-backed plans for Israel to integrate with its Arab neighbours. Saudi Arabia has halted its normalization plans with Israel as a result of the conflict.
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