Gaza war complicates IMEC plans even as Gulf-India ties warm

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is still in its early stages but is already being challenged by both the Gaza war, which is complicating its route through Israel and Arab states, and the regional spillover from the conflict that is threatening maritime navigation.

The IMEC was announced on Sept. 10 on the sidelines of the G20, just under a month before the start of the Gaza war. The corridor will connect India to Europe via a shipping and rail network that goes through the Arabian Peninsula and Israel. India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States and several European Union states signed a memorandum of understanding on the corridor during the summit.

According to the White House statement on the corridor, the network will consist of an eastern route between India and the Gulf and a northern one connecting the Gulf to Europe. It will include a railway for the land segments in addition to sea routes, as well as electricity cables for digital connectivity and pipes for the export of so-called clean hydrogen, per the White House.

The corridor is still in the early stages. Saudi Arabia reportedly pledged to invest $20 billion in the IMEC at the time of the announcement. For its part, the White House said in its statement on the corridor's launch that the US' Development Finance Corporation would provide up to $500 million for a "renewable infrastructure investment fund" with India.