Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held high-level talks to discuss the implementation of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEEC), a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and prosperity.

About IMEC

• During the G20 summit in New Delhi in September, world leaders unveiled plans for a India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). 

• Need: Geopolitical and geoeconomic considerations underpin the rationale for the IMEC.

• The corridor aims to provide a reliable and cost-effective ship-to-rail transit network connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, enhancing economic development through improved connectivity and integration.

• Key Participants: India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Germany, Italy, USA, and the European Union are the key member nations involved in the project.

Project Components

• The corridor will include a railway route to create a cross-border ship-to-rail transit network, supplementing existing maritime and road transport routes.

• This will allow the movement of goods and services between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.

• Along the railway track, a clean hydrogen export cable will also be laid.

Structure of the Corridor: The project consists of two separate corridors:

• Eastern Corridor: Connecting India to the Arabian Gulf.

• Northern Corridor: Connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

Key Functions: The corridor aims to:

• Safeguard regional supply chains.

• Boost trade accessibility across these regions.

• Promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations.

• Increase efficiency, reduce costs, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• This initiative is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII), a West-led project aimed at funding infrastructure projects globally, with a focus on economic integration, trade growth, and sustainability across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Ports in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)

• India: Mundra Port (Gujarat), Kandla Port (Gujarat), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai)

• Middle East: Fujairah Port (UAE), Jebel Ali Port (UAE), Abu Dhabi Port (UAE), Dammam Port (Saudi Arabia), Ras Al Khair Port (Saudi Arabia)

• Railway Line: The railway will link Fujairah Port (UAE) to Haifa Port (Israel), passing through Saudi Arabia (via Ghuwaifat and Haradh) and Jordan.

• Israel: Haifa Port (Israel)

• Europe: Piraeus Port (Greece), Messina Port (Southern Italy), Marseille Port (France)

Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII)

• The infrastructure plan was first announced in June 2021 during the G7 (or Group of Seven) summit in the UK.

• The G7 countries include the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union (EU).

• US President had called it the Build Back Better World (B3W) framework.

• In 2022, during the G7 summit in Germany, the PGII was officially launched as a joint initiative to help fund infrastructure projects in developing countries through public and private investments.