Hejaz railway
Coverage of Hejaz railway in the Nexus archive.
- Opinion: How Israel's dream of being the Middle East's trade hub is unravelling
Israel's ambition to become the Middle East's trade hub is failing as Gulf states and allies develop alternative routes. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are reviving the Hejaz railway to bypass Israel, while the UAE explores a trade corridor through Syria and Iraq. DP World is building ports in Fujairah to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
- How Israel's dream of being the Middle East's trade hub is unravelling
Gulf powers are developing trade corridors to bypass Israel, undermining its regional trade hub ambitions. Projects like the revived Hejaz railway and UAE-Syria-Iraq routes replace the stalled India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which relied on Israel's Haifa port. Political tensions, physical threats, and Haifa's limited capacity have derailed IMEC, shifting trade routes to Gulf-led alternatives.