UAE, US review progress of $20b ship-to-rail corridor project

Project was launched at the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi last year

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A view of Jebel Ali port in Dubai. In 2023, UAE imports from the United States reached $25.9 billion, up from $21.3 billion in 2022. — File photo

Published: Wed 25 Sep 2024, 6:20 PM

The futuristic $20 billion transcontinental India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) plan, marking a "new era of international connectivity", received a consequential fillip with leaders of the UAE and the US reaffirming their commitment to the strategic initiative.

President Sheikh Mohamed discussed the progress of this landmark corridor and underscored its potential to usher in a "new era of international connectivity" during his just concluded meeting with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Work on the India-UAE leg of the IMEC, envisaged as a counter to China’s intercontinental Belt and Road Initiative, is on track to start with the imminent launch of a digital platform to exchange information between ports of the two countries.

The ambitious project was launched at the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi last year. When complete, it would connect India by ship-to-rail connections through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe through Greece.

At the meeting held at the White House on Monday, Sheikh Mohamed and Biden reaffirmed that the corridor will generate economic growth, increase efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformative integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, according to a joint statement.

The two leaders underscored that the transformative partnership had the potential to usher in a "new era of international connectivity" to facilitate global trade and clean energy distribution, expand reliable access to electricity, and strengthen telecommunication. They emphasised the importance of joint initiatives to promote a circular economy and advance sustainable practices, underscoring their commitment to innovation for resource efficiency and environmentally responsible growth.

The IMEC, a proposed 4,800 km long route comprising a railroad, ship-to-rail networks, and road transport routes extending across two corridors, consists of two trade corridors: the East Corridor, which connects India to the Arabian Gulf, and the Northern Corridor, which connects the Gulf to Europe. IMEC aims to provide a cost-effective and reliable cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to bolster existing maritime shipping. It was announced in September 2023 in New Delhi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. This followed a meeting between the leaders of India, the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, Germany, and the European Commission.

The ambitious project intends to increase efficiency, reduce costs, secure regional supply chains, increase trade accessibility, enhance economic cooperation, generate jobs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a transformative integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Strategically, the IMEC is viewed as a counter to China’s BRI, although its scale and scope are relatively limited.

According to analysts, the strong economic ties between the UAE and the US are reflected in the substantial rise in non-oil foreign trade (excluding services), which surged to $39.5 billion in 2023 from $23.8 billion in 2022.

In 2023, UAE imports from the United States reached $25.9 billion, up from $21.3 billion in 2022. Meanwhile, UAE exports to the U.S. increased from $3.2 billion in 2022 to $3.9 billion in 2023. Additionally, UAE re-exports to the U.S. rose to $9.6 billion in 2023, compared to $8.2 billion the previous year.

Between 2018 and 2023, UAE investments in the U.S. totaled $3.7 billion, while U.S. investments in the UAE amounted to $9.5 billion. Key sectors for UAE investment in the U.S. include renewable energy, telecommunications, energy, real estate, software services, and information technology.

This year, several collaborative agreements in technology and artificial intelligence have been formed. In June, World Wide Technology (WWT), a prominent U.S. technology integration firm, partnered with NXT Global to establish the UAE’s first AI Integration Centre in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, which is set to be one of the most sustainable urban developments globally.