India and the UAE want to establish an online portal for port clearance as part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

For ships landing at ports in India and the United Arab Emirates, the web site will provide a port clearance and payment feature.

According to several officials aware of the ongoing discussions, the governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India plan to introduce a portal that will assist ships in obtaining clearances prior to docking at ports that are a part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) in either nation.

"It's likely that the online portal will launch in October or early May of 2024-25," said a senior government source engaged in the project.

He continued by saying that ships docked in Indian and UAE ports will first be able to use the online site for port clearance and payment.

"Initially, we are working to onboard the port of Jebel Ali, also known as Mina Jebel Ali, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Kandla port, as well as Mumbai port on the portal," stated a government official.

When the site is up and running, customs clearances, container monitoring, and integrated logistics players will all be included, an additional official told Moneycontrol, to facilitate the transfer of containers between ports and across nations' hinterlands.

In order to enable smooth cross-border transactions between the two nations, we are attempting to integrate the future platform with the immediate payment systems of both the UAE and India," the government representative said.

An MoU to establish connected payment systems, an agreement to interlink domestic debit/credit cards, as well as an Intergovernmental Framework Convention on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor were among the seven agreements that India and the UAE signed back in February 2024.

The governments of Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are also in discussions with the governments of India and the UAE to expand the online platform for smooth ship and container transit between all four nations.

"The success and launch of the online platform between UAE as well as India will help boost the credibility of all other countries that are part of the IMEEC, like Saudi Arabia as well as Oman," said a second government official.

The Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pledged last week to support infrastructure programs like the IMEEC in the G7 Summit Communique that was released after the three-day meeting.

After the traditional "family" picture at the opulent Borgo Egnazia resort, the G7 released a communiqué that evening on June 14. In it, they reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free Indo-Pacific region governed by the rule of law.

"We will further promote concrete G7 PGII (Partnership for Global Infrastructure alongside Investment) initiatives, flagship projects, and complementary initiatives to develop transformative economic corridors for quality infrastructure as well as investment, such as the deepening of our coordination and financing for the Lobito Corridor, the Luzon Corridor, the Middle Corridor, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, along with construction on the EU Global Gateway, the Great Green Wall Initiative, and the Mattei Plan for Africa launched by Italy," the communique states.

India, together with a number of G20 partners, launched the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor in September of last year as a reaction to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was first proposed in 2013 and has since come under fire for its lack of openness and disrespect for national sovereignty.

India facilitated the agreement on the economic corridor, which included the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, the European Union (EU), Italy, France, and Germany, on the fringes of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. The aim was to promote economic union and increase communication between Europe, the Arabian Gulf, and South Asia.

Israel and Greece notably expressed interest in joining the IMEEC later on, highlighting the organization's importance for regional connectivity and economic cooperation.

Importance of the IMEEC

 India hopes to capitalize on its robust commercial relations with the Arab Gulf, seeing substantial development potential when issues with infrastructure and connectivity are resolved.

An integral element of India's wider regional policy, the IMEEC links important allies like Israel and Jordan, hence improving regional connectivity and economic potential. In addition, it offers quicker commercial routes that avoid important crossings such as Bab al-Mandab and the Suez Canal and connect India, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Europe.

India's influence in the area is set to grow, providing chances for Indian businesses to contribute to the construction of infrastructure.

In terms of geopolitics, India is positioned as a developing global force by supporting the IMEEC, capitalizing on its G20 participation and economic development trajectory since 1991.

This massive infrastructure project may greatly improve economic integration with the Gulf states, other regional states, and Europe by connecting India with the Middle East and Europe.

In order to allow efficient energy and commerce movement from the Gulf to Europe, the corridor proposes to create rail linkages throughout Middle Eastern nations, linking them to Indian ports and cutting down on shipping durations, expenses, and fuel usage.

In addition, several like-minded countries saw the IMEEC as an attempt to build strategic clout against China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive connectivity project that connects China to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe.