Egypt Advances Arish-Taba Logistic Corridor for "Arab Trade" Line with Jordan and Iraq

Shafaq News/ Egypt unveiled the progress of the Al-Arish-Taba logistic corridor, a pivotal part in the initiation of the "Arab Trade" line, undertaken in collaboration with Jordan and Iraq.

Images released by the Egyptian Ministry of Transport offer insights into the project's development, aligned with the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to position Egypt as a "global hub" for trade and logistics.

The Al-Arish-Taba logistic corridor stretches from the Al-Arish seaport to the Taba land port, interconnected via the Al-Arish-Taba Railway. This rail line extends the Al-Ferdan-Bir Al-Abd-Al-Arish route, traversing the central Sinai heavy industries area.

Key development aspects involve the rehabilitation and enhancement of the 100 km Al-Fardan-Bir Al-Abd railway line and the 44 km Balouza-East Port Said railway line. Notably, the construction and development of the 500 km Al-Fardan-East Port Said-Bir Al-Abd-Al-Arish-Taba line is underway.

Additionally, the 81 km Al-Abd-Al-Arish line and the 275 km Al-Arish-Al-Nakhl-Al-Tamd-Taba line are progressing.

Egypt's Minister of Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, oversaw the construction of a new metal bridge in the Al-Fardan region, along with rehabilitation efforts for an existing bridge. Spanning 640 meters, the Al-Fardan Bridge comprises two segments crossing the Suez Canal, aiming to enhance development in the Sinai Peninsula and foster passenger and cargo transport between the valley and Sinai.

Minister Al-Wazir announced the launch of the "Arab Trade" line in partnership with Jordan and Iraq via Egyptian ports. The initiative aims to facilitate the transportation of goods from Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries via land using railways to the Aqaba region. The Arab Bridge Maritime Company, operated by Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, handles ferry transportation from Aqaba to Taba and Nuweiba.

This project can potentially redirect trade flows, with Jordanian and Iraqi exports reaching the Americas and Europe. Egypt has also aligned with CMA CGM Group to transport the empty container system aboard vessels to the Port Said area. He added.

The reinvigoration of the railway linking Al-Arish, Taba, and East Port Said bears significance in facilitating goods transportation. It carries implications for Israel's high-speed train project connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean via Eilat port.

The Arab Bridge Maritime was first proposed in the 1970s but has not yet been built. Several challenges need to be addressed before the line can be constructed, including the construction cost, political will, and environmental impact.

Despite these challenges, the Arab Bridge Maritime can potentially be a significant economic boost for Arab countries. The line would reduce the cost of shipping goods between Arab countries and the rest of the world, and it would also create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

The Arab Bridge Maritime project could intensely blow the Israeli high-speed train project. The Arab Bridge Maritime would provide a faster and cheaper way to transport goods between Europe and Asia, which could make the Israeli high-speed train project less competitive.