The planning phase is over for the $4 billion bridge that will connect Africa and Asia, and construction is set to start soon. In 2016, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman introduced the project, which will cross the Strait of Tiran and join Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. The kingdom is funding the bridge, which will become a major link between regions.
The Sun UK reports that Egypt has confirmed that the Moses Bridge project has completed its planning phase. Last week, the Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir said, “We have finished planning the bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and can start building it at any time, whether as a bridge or a tunnel.”
At present, the Arab Bridge Maritime Company handles maritime transport between the two countries, using 13 vessels. The new bridge aims to significantly boost trade, tourism, and logistics in the region while offering a strategic route to support Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM megacity project.
The bridge is also important for religious and cultural reasons, as it provides a new path for pilgrims going to Mecca. It could handle more than a million passengers each year. The bridge was originally called the “King Salman bin Abdulaziz Bridge,” but people have favored calling it “Moses Bridge” because of its biblical and geographic significance.
Since 1988, there have been ideas for a Red Sea bridge, but political and logistical issues stopped progress until recently.
While NEOM is still criticized for delays and human rights issues, the Moses Bridge brings people together by mixing symbolism, strategic interests, and economic growth. As construction is about to start, the bridge could become a significant part of Middle Eastern infrastructure, diplomacy, and the linking of continents.
