Shafaq News / On Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Transport announced the onset of the first phase of the Arab Trade Route between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan at the beginning of this year, following tensions in the Red Sea.
The ministry stated that the attacks by the Houthis on international cargo ships in the Red Sea, and the subsequent threat to navigation in the Suez Canal, shed light on the importance of the commercial connection project between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan, and even discussed the addition of other routes connecting Gulf countries with Egypt.
According to the ministry, work is currently advancing to implement the second phase of the integrated Arab trade route by establishing a railway from Taba to Al-Arish to Bir Al-Abed to Ferdan, covering a distance of 500 km, to increase the volume of targeted cargo transport from the Gulf, Iraq, and Jordan to Europe and America.
The Egyptian side emphasized its commitment to providing all forms of support for this new route by facilitating procedures and encouraging companies and various entities to utilize the route in both directions, especially given its importance in transporting goods from Gulf countries, Iraq, and Jordan to European and American destinations.
Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, former dean of the College of International Transport and Logistics at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, believes that the route could be a gateway for Jordanian and Iraqi exports, as well as opening doors for Gulf exports, as they will pass through this route, representing an investment in the concept of multimodal transport.
He added, "This is a solution to the crisis in the Red Sea for some neighboring countries, but it cannot be a substitute for the Suez Canal."
In December of last year 2023, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport stated that Iraqi ports had become an alternative to global transport lines for delivering goods from east to west, coinciding with many major international transport companies changing their routes due to security tensions in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.