A video investigation by Israeli Channel 13 revealed a new trade route between the UAE and Israel passing through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, aimed at bypassing the maritime route now threatened by Houthi missiles launched in solidarity with the Palestinians. According to the channel's report, "For the first time, under a cover of secrecy, an important and game-changing event is taking place, altering the reality: the quiet and secret opening of the new commercial route from the UAE to Israel, circumventing the Houthis, which is operating at full capacity as you can see, with a long queue of waiting trucks."
The report noted that "trucks coming from Dubai and Abu Dhabi carry all kinds of goods, from vegetables and fruits to electronic devices and other imported products from the UAE." The investigation showed the route taken by trucks from the UAE via the Saudi desert, then to Jordan before reaching the border with Israel, displaying images of a line of trucks waiting to enter Israel.
Weeks ago, the Israeli website "Walla" reported that "a first batch of commercial shipments arrived in Israel via a new land bridge extending from the UAE to Tel Aviv, passing through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach the port of Haifa." This route comes amid ongoing and near-daily threats from the Houthis, who announced their intention to target any ships heading to Palestine, alleviating burdens on Israel and breaking the Houthi blockade.
"Walla" mentioned that "the pilot stages of the new land transport line via the ports of Dubai, through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, have been successfully completed," indicating that "ten trucks arrived from the ports of the Arabian Gulf to Israel." The trucking operations are conducted from Dubai Port to Tel Aviv Port in Haifa through the shipping companies "Trakent" (Israeli) and "Puretrans" (Emirati). These companies announced at the beginning of the month the signing of a cooperation agreement to establish a land bridge between Dubai and Haifa to circumvent the Houthi threat.
The CEO of Trakent stated that "creating this new road would save more than 80% of the costs of transporting goods by sea." The new commercial route between the UAE and Israel, which received approval from the Israeli Defense Ministry and government, is expected to provide a faster alternative to passing through the Suez Canal and offer a quicker option for the lengthy import route via the canal, aiming to avoid the Houthi threat that necessitates detouring around the Cape of Good Hope, extending the route by up to three weeks.
In contrast, the overland journey from Dubai to Haifa takes four days and covers a distance of 2,550 kilometers, while the trip from Bahrain takes two days and seven hours to cover 1,700 kilometers. Shipping costs by sea range around $1.2 per kilometer, which is slightly higher than the prices paid on regular days. However, it is now cheaper due to increased insurance costs for ships in the Red Sea following attacks by the Iranian-aligned "Ansar Allah" group, according to the Israeli site.
