US, Saudi Arabia, others, to discuss Middle East railway project

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National security advisors from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India are expected to meet on Sunday to discuss a possible major joint infrastructure project to connect Gulf and Arab countries via a network of railways that would also be linked to India via shipping lanes from ports in the region, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the plan.

As China's influence in the region rises, the project is one of the primary objectives the White House wants to drive in the Middle East. The region is also a main component of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the two sources, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who is slated to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, will meet with his Saudi, Emirati, and Indian counterparts on Sunday to discuss the project and other regional concerns.

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One US official said the project would be one of several issues covered during the visit and a second official said Sullivan will address the condition of the bilateral relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US, regional challenges, and the likelihood of future reconciliation measures between Saudi Arabia and "Israel" with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials.

According to the two individuals, the concept for the new project arose through discussions held over the previous 18 months in another group dubbed I2U2, founded in late 2021 to debate key infrastructure projects in the Middle East, which comprises the US, "Israel", the United Arab Emirates, and India.

'About China from day one'

An Israeli official who was involved in the early talks told Axios, “Nobody said it out loud but it was about China from day one.

During the I2U2 talks over the last year, "Israel" proposed the concept of linking the area via trains. According to the former Israeli official, "part of the idea was to use India's expertise on such large infrastructure projects.

In recent months, the Biden administration has expanded on the concept of including Saudi Arabia's participation.

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According to the sources, the proposal would entail connecting Arab countries in the Levant and the Gulf with a network of trains that would also connect to India via seaports in the Gulf.

Requests for comment were not returned by the Indian, Emirati, or Saudi embassies in Washington.

Sullivan alluded to this project during his lecture at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Thursday. “If you remember nothing else from my speech, remember I2U2, because you will be hearing more about it as we go forward."

The core idea, according to Sullivan, is to connect South Asia, the Middle East, and the United States "in ways that advance our economic technology and diplomacy."

He also stated that a number of initiatives are currently in the works, as well as “some new exciting steps that we’re looking forward to undertaking in the months ahead." Regional integration, according to Sullivan, is a core of the Biden administration's Middle East agenda.

"A more integrated, interconnected Middle East empowers our allies and partners, advances regional peace and prosperity, and reduces the resource demands on the US in this region over the long term without sacrificing our fundamental interests or our involvement in the region," the advisor said.

"Israel" is not yet a member of this project, but might be incorporated in the future if attempts to further restore relations in the area proceed, according to the sources.