PM Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the region is stirred with conflict and tensions. Israel is locked in a conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, and tensions with Iran are also simmering consistently. Meanwhile, Syria remains destabilised with regime change and civil wars. The global tide of geopolitics is also shifting. US President Donald Trump is back in office and has launched a global tariff war, seeking to renegotiate trade terms with all other nations. Meanwhile, he is also trying to bring a close to the Russia-Ukraine war in which Saudi Arabia is playing the role of mediator.

For Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, there is much catching up to do. Saudi Arabia has a $100 billion investment plan for India that needs to be expedited. Also on the agenda are strengthening defence, energy, and major trade ties. The most fundamental question concerns the IMEC: can India, Saudi Arabia, and their regional, European, and American partners stitch together an economic corridor robust enough to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

Announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, IMEC is a transcontinental trade and transport network connecting India to Europe via the Middle East — cutting across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, before reaching Europe through Greece and Italy. Termed as a modern Silk Route, it will reduce logistics........

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