Israel and the US are advancing plans for a land route linking the UAE to Israel via Saudi Arabia and Jordan, according to Israeli online news outlet Ynet. The new land route — reportedly proposed by Israel and pitched to GCC countries by the US — aims to slash costs and transit times associated with moving goods from the UAE to Israel.

The proposal: Current plans are for the new highway to begin in the UAE, transit KSA and Jordan, and end at Israel’s Mediterranean ports, Ynet said. Later expansions could see the route extended to Bahrain and Oman. The corridor will be based on existing road infrastructure, but will require some upgrades and additional constructions at certain points.

Why is a new route needed? Although trucks leaving the UAE can access the Israeli port of Haifa via the Allenby Bridge, the current bureaucratic process is cumbersome, involving lengthy wait times, driver changes, and paperwork. The initiative looks to replace this procedure with a streamlined process that allows shipments to transit borders without changes to trucks or drivers, Ynet explained.

This will also require legislative changes: Participating countries will have to agree on standardizations to trucks and truck drivers’ licenses to ensure smooth passage of shipments at border crossings, Ynet said.

The new route could slash transit times + costs: The planned corridor targets freight moving from the East to Europe and could reduce shipping times by between two to three days, and slash costs by 20%, according to an Israeli foreign ministry and US government study cited by the report.

The caveat: Saudi Arabia and Israel have yet to establish diplomatic ties, despite Israel’s efforts to thaw relations with Arab countries.In spite of this, Ynet writes that the initiative could get off the ground even before Israel and KSA establish formal political ties, because of the benefits it offers to the countries involved.

The US + Israel seem to be involved in several rounds of talks around new MENA and GCC trade routes: The US is also promoting plans for a railway connecting the GCC to Israel and Europe, but available infrastructure means that a trucking route can get off the ground sooner, Ynet reported, without disclosing details around the railway. Talk of another planned railway corridor linking the Gulf and Arab countries in the Levant with India via seaports comes as part of an American initiative to rival China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) logistical mega project and to counteract China’s growing regional influence. Israel’s involvement comes as it looks to further normalize relations with countries in the region, reports have said.

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