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Biden described the agreement as “historic.”
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The economic corridor project between India, the Gulf and Europe, which was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the G20 summit, sparked widespread controversy on social media about the feasibility of the project and the criteria on the basis of which the countries through which the road will pass were chosen and its impact on the Suez Canal.
Project details
The project was announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit held in the Indian city of New Delhi on Saturday, through a memorandum of understanding agreed upon by leaders including US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who announced the project.
The proposed corridor will extend across the Arabian Sea from India to the United Arab Emirates, then cross Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel before reaching Europe. The project will also include a new submarine cable and energy transmission infrastructure, according to the Financial Times.
The project aims to establish railway lines and connect sea ports, to enhance trade exchange and facilitate the passage of goods.
The new corridor also aims to facilitate the process of transmitting renewable electricity and clean hydrogen via cables and pipelines, in order to enhance energy security and support clean energy development efforts, in addition to developing the digital economy through connectivity and digital data transmission through fiber optic cables.
The leaders also agreed to come up with an “action plan” within the next 60 days. US President Joe Biden described the agreement as “historic” and said that it would contribute to making the Middle East more stable and prosperous.
In turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the project “will make trade between India and Europe faster by 40%.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also appeared in a video to comment on the announcement, describing it as “historic.”
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“Strike the Suez Canal”
On the other hand, immediately after the project was announced, a wide discussion began on social media in many Arab countries to talk about the feasibility and importance of the project.
But the debate in Egypt was more intense, because Egypt itself owns the Suez Canal, the most prominent corridor to date linking the East to Europe.
This prompted many to wonder: Is the new “economic corridor” project from India to the Gulf, then Saudi Arabia and Israel, a competitor to the Suez Canal and a competitor to it?
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This proposal was supported by many tweeters who saw that the new economic corridor to be established is “a devastating blow to the Suez Canal” and will contribute to “officially impoverishing Egypt by depriving it of income from the Suez Canal.”
Some described the agreement as an “open conspiracy by Saudi Arabia against Egypt.”
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On the other hand, a section of opinions considered that the announcement of the economic corridor is an announcement of Saudi Arabia’s normalization of its relationship with Israel and is not aimed at attacking Egypt and its interests.
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Tweeters ruled out that the new corridor would affect the Suez Canal “because it is unrealistic and its cost is very high.”
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Some described the project as “wonderful and economically beneficial,” but they expressed their fear of “the challenges that may control the extent of the project’s progress or not, which is the political situation, including wars and economic crises, and the safety of the countries through which this corridor will pass.”
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Why Haifa instead of Beirut?
On the other hand, the debate in Lebanon was about why Israel was chosen instead of Lebanon as a corridor for the project.
Former Minister Ghassan Hasbani, affiliated with the Lebanese Forces Party, wrote, blaming “those who isolated Lebanon from the world and paved the way for others to be the gateway to the eastern Mediterranean,” alluding to Hezbollah’s role in the region.
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But others responded to this proposal by asking, “Was it possible to involve Lebanon in isolation from Syria, and did Minister Hasbani mean the Caesar Act when he spoke of isolating Lebanon from its surroundings?”
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2023-09-11 12:43:59
