CAIRO: The agenda of the upcoming Saudi-Egyptian Business Council meeting will be dominated by a gargantuan new project – a Gulf of Aqaba bridge connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The proposed bridge, linking Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt to Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia, will be 32 km long and allow motorists to cross in just 22 minutes. According to a report by Spiegel International, studies on cost and feasibility will be officially launched, with plans for further discussion in Jeddah later this year. This meeting will be the first for post-Mubarak Egypt and already reveals a shift in agenda in Saudi relations for the country. Though this bridge was first proposed in 1988, the previous Egyptian regime had refused to implement it, halting plans indefinitely five years ago allegedly due to security concerns raised by Israel. The bridge will alter the geopolitical landscape of the region, offering a direct land route between Egypt and its Arab neighbors without crossing Israel territory. The greater connectivity between the two states reflects already existing close economic ties. Current Saudi investments in Egypt total over $10 billion, bilateral trade stands at over $3.5 billion annually and Saudi Arabia has pledged financial support for Egypt during this unstable period. Much of the $5 billion price tag for the bridge is expected to be covered by a tariff paid by millions of Muslims going on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Around 70,000 Egyptians travel annually to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage to Mecca. BM
