An official from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed to Al-Monitor that work has begun on a trade corridor project connecting the country to Saudi Arabia, and that it will operate even if diplomatic ties between the two countries are not officially normalized.
Ynet reported on July 7 that Israel and the United States were working on a plan to establish a continuous trade land bridge connecting Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, leading from the Persian Gulf straight to Israel's seaports. The outlet cited senior Israeli officials, but until now there had been no official word on the project.
Israel Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat confirmed that the government was working on the project, which will start in the UAE, pass through Saudi Arabia and then end in the seaports of Israel. It is planned to later expand to Bahrain and Oman, Ynet reported.
“We're working on it. We do not have a deadline for completion,” Haiat told Al-Monitor, adding that it could be completed by the end of the year.
