A Land Bridge Between Saudi Arabia and Israel?

Michael Goldfarb

In a shocking but fortunate development, plans for a land-bridge between UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are quickly emerging. The idea is to enable a significant reduction in transportation costs throughout the pro-west region of the mid-East. The first phase will enable the movement of goods through Israel’s ports. The second phase will deal with an actual highway that will enable growth in tourism.

Both Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. government have conducted a study on the time reduction invovled and estimates range from a savings of two or three days in transportational logistics to several weeks. The plan would save up to 20% in costs.

AT this point UAE trucks can reach the port in Haifa through teh Allenby Bridge, but there is much red tape. Travel through the Suez Canal is also expensive and filled with red tape.

With this game-changer, a truck would be able to theoretically make a smooth drive between Dubai and Haifa with no red tape. The plan was presented by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to US Special envoy Amos Hochstein.

Amos J. Hochstein is the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security. He began his tenure with the State Department in 2011, when he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs and led the Bureau of Energy Resources.

The plan is that these trucks will start in the United Arab Emirates, they will pass through Saudi Arabia and end at the seaports of Israel. Later the plan will expand to Bahrain and Oman.