Ajit Doval
In order to counter China’s footprint in Gulf, India is preparing an enormous connectivity project that will connect New Delhi to the Middle East.
Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser, met with his US and UAE counterparts, who were also joined by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders discussed a collaborative infrastructure project that would use rail to connect the Middle Eastern countries.
The ambitious connectivity project seeks to connect the Middle East to India by roads, trains, and seaports. The concept arose during meetings of the I2U2 group, which includes Israel, last year.
The I2U2 group, a relatively new vehicle for US-India cooperation in the Middle East, was not intended to be a China-focused entity, given the UAE’s and Israel’s close business ties with China.
Saudi Arabia hasn’t formalized relations with Israel, therefore the latter isn’t an official participant in the initiative, but its membership in I2U2 suggests it will play a role.
The connectivity project demonstrates how much India benefits from the Abraham Accords, a Trump-era pact that normalized Israel’s relations with several of its Arab neighbors.
According to Foreign Policy, the agreement allowed for the formation of the I2U2 group, and conversations there gave rise to the new effort.
The proposed project indicates that India and the United States are prepared to extend their cooperative counter-China operation beyond the Indo-Pacific region and into the Middle East.
The Biden administration clearly sees the connectivity project as a strategy to counterbalance Chinese hegemony in the region. A former senior Israeli official said, “Nobody said it out loud, but it was about China from day one”.
The connectivity initiative attempts to capitalize on India’s capacity as an infrastructure provider. Its track record includes contributions to cross-border electricity-sharing arrangements of the world’s largest train system. To oppose China’s BRI, Indian officials seek to expand their infrastructure footprint in the Middle East through the new programme.
According to one assessment, India may someday benefit from land and sea trade routes running from Israel and the UAE all the way to Greece’s Piraeus port and on into Europe in the best-case scenario.
India wants to be a part of a new multilateral effort to counter China’s growing Middle East influence, which is being fueled by Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments and by a recent strategic deal with Iran.
Notably, according to Foreign Policy, Beijing recently negotiated a peace agreement between Tehran and Riyadh.
Given India’s trading interest in the region and the several million Indians who work in the region and send remittances home, the Middle East is becoming an increasingly important space for the country.
Furthermore, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited New Delhi. Although he left early due to the Gaza issue, he was most likely planning to meet with his Indian counterparts about the connectivity project.
Cohen stated in a statement made prior to the visit that India can play a major role in strengthening regional stability in the Middle East.
India now has the potential to expand its influence, trade, and diplomacy beyond the Indo-Pacific region, all while holding the G-20 presidency, enjoying strong economic growth, and surpassing China as the world’s most populous country in a year.
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