Washington - The leaders of the US, India, Saudi Arabia, and other nations are engaged in discussions regarding a potential infrastructure deal encompassing railroads and ports," as reported by Reuters on Friday, citing sources.

This development was initially reported in the American newsletter Axios. According to Axios, this new project could serve as a significant initiative advanced by the White House in the Middle East, where China's influence is expanding, and the region plays a crucial role in Beijing's Belt and Road vision. The Biden administration aims to finalize its diplomatic efforts for a substantial agreement with Saudi Arabia, potentially including a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, before the 2024 campaign dominates Biden's agenda.

As per Axios, the project is envisioned to establish connections among Arab countries in the Levant and the Gulf via an extensive railway network, which will also link to India through seaports in the Gulf, according to sources. The concept for this new initiative emerged during discussions held over the past 18 months within another forum known as I2U2, which comprises the US, Israel, the UAE, and India, as reported by Axios, citing two sources.

I2U2 was established in late 2021 to explore strategic infrastructure projects in the Middle East and act as a counterbalance to Beijing's expanding influence in the region. During the I2U2 meetings over the past year, Israel introduced the idea of connecting the region through railways, with the intention of leveraging India's expertise in such significant infrastructure endeavors, as per one source.

Subsequently, the Biden administration expanded on this idea to include Saudi Arabia's participation, as reported by Axios, citing a source.