Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz arrived in Oman on Monday on an official four-day visit to attend the World Congress of the International Road Transport Union hosted by Muscat.
The visit follows by nine days the surprise visit to the sultanate by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah.
Katz said that his visit to Muscat was intended to achieve two goals: to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation with Oman in a number of areas, and to present his “Tracks for Regional Peace” initiative, a plan to build a railway linking Israel with Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab nations in the Persian Gulf. The rail line would establish a trade route that would connect Europe with Israel and the Persian Gulf via Haifa.
According to a report published by the Arabic-language Alaraby website, Katz told officials in Oman that initial estimates indicate that should the ‘Tracks for Regional Peace’ railway project be built, “the volume of trade through Israel after its inauguration will jump to approximately $25 billion a year.”
Oman is strategically located close to the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which allows for high impact on events in Iran and the Gulf simultaneously.
U.S. Special Representative to International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, who is in the region for talks with more top government officials, praised the plan.
Today Transportation & Intelligence Minister is in Oman at an intn’l transportation event. He will present a plan for the construction of a railway btwn Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia & the Gulf. Let’s keep the dialogue going. These efforts support our efforts.
— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45)
Greenblatt met Sunday evening with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in Gaza and other “regional developments,” he said in a tweet, as he continued to focus on fine-tuning the Trump administration’s “deal of the century,” which is due to be revealed in the next few months. The American envoy continues to meet with other leaders in the region to discuss issues relating to the Israel-Palestinian Authority peace process as well.
I appreciated a candid discussion yesterday on the path to peace with Palestinian friends. We’re committed to hearing from all partners who share this goal.
— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45)
He said in a tweet earlier in the day on Monday that it was “good to see #Bahrain agrees with #Israel on the importance of stability in the region. Israel and its neighbors continue to find common ground.”