Turkey, Syria, and Saudi Arabia Advance Trade Corridor Threatening Israel's Strategic Position

For over two decades, Israel has aspired to become a key land bridge connecting Asia and Europe through initiatives like the IMEC economic corridor, which envisions linking India to Europe via the Gulf, Jordan, and Israel's Haifa port. However, while Israel has delayed progress amid political changes and ongoing conflict, rival regional powers Turkey, Syria, and Saudi Arabia have accelerated plans for an alternative trade route bypassing Israel entirely.

This emerging corridor aims to connect the Gulf to Europe through Turkey, Jordan, and Syria, leveraging revived infrastructure such as the historic Hejaz railway and new transport projects. In June 2026, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev sent an unusual warning letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighting a "real strategic risk" that Israel could be excluded from vital global trade routes as competitors move swiftly to establish new economic and energy corridors.

Hazi Halawiya, chairman of Israel Ports Company, emphasized in an interview with N12 magazine that Israel must seize this opportunity or risk losing a transformative economic and security advantage. He warned that the IMEC corridor is not just infrastructure but a geopolitical compass that could secure Israel's role as a global logistics hub, increasing its political and economic influence. Halawiya stressed that delays could result in the corridor shifting through Syria, which would be a "loss for generations."

The strategic competition intensified after the 2023 G20 summit, where the US, India, EU, Saudi Arabia, and others endorsed IMEC to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative. Yet Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the plan, asserting that no corridor can bypass Turkey. Ankara launched a competing "Development Road" corridor and signed agreements with Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan to promote alternative routes. Saudi Arabia also pursues its own vision to become a trade bridge via its Red Sea ports and the futuristic city of Neom.

Experts note that the rivalry is not purely economic but also ideological and geopolitical, with Turkey and Syria motivated to circumvent Israel. Meanwhile, the US administration's recent easing of sanctions on Syria and efforts to encourage reconstruction could inadvertently support the competing corridor. Israeli officials are intensifying diplomatic efforts with the US, Gulf states, and Jordan to secure Israel's place in IMEC and integrate the corridor with broader regional goals, including Gaza reconstruction.

Despite Israel's geographic and technological advantages, challenges remain, including incomplete infrastructure and lack of a unified national plan. The race to establish the dominant Asia-Europe trade corridor will determine Israel's future economic and strategic standing. Failure to act decisively could see the major 21st-century trade route established hundreds of kilometers east of Israel within a decade.