The Biden administration is reportedly considering an investment in a new rail project, but not in the United States, according to Axios.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and top national security officials from the United Arab Emirates, the White House announced. One of the items on the agenda was the construction of a new rail project in the Middle East, which would connect the Persian Gulf and Arab countries and also extend to India, Axios first reported.
Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Arabia’s MBS and his Emirati and Indian counterparts today. He also had separate talks with the three and thanked the Saudi crown prince for helping Americans get out of Sudan. pic.twitter.com/uCXevgOQQr
— Joseph Haboush (@jhaboush) May 8, 2023
The White House’s readout of the meeting mentioned fostering a more “secure and prosperous” region connected with India, the war in Yemen, and Saudi Arabia’s support for Americans being evacuated from Sudan. However, the rail project specifically was discussed, according to Axios.
The rail system reportedly stems from I2U2, a forum founded in 2021 to discuss infrastructure development in the Middle East by the U.S., India, Israel and U.A.E. I2U2 was convened as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has seen the Chinese Communist Party invest billions of dollars into infrastructure projects across the developing world in recent years to curry diplomatic favor.
Israel could potentially become involved in the project as well, sources told Axios. (RELATED: India Set To Overtake China As World’s Most Populous Country, UN Report Announces)
The administration promised last year it would re-evaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia after OPEC opted to cut oil production against President Joe Biden’s wishes, but State Department spokesman Vedant Patel wouldn’t answer Monday whether or not that re-evaluation is still ongoing.