IMEC Expands Toward South Asia: A New Development Corridor Driven by the Abraham Accords

In recent months, the IMEC framework has entered a transformative phase, evolving from an intercontinental trade corridor into a broader development engine that now aims to include some of the poorest nations in South Asia. Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh and other vulnerable countries stand at the center of a new proposal led by Samuel Shay, one of the most active regional architects of economic cooperation under the Abraham Accords.

Shay argues that the global food-security crisis, combined with structural poverty across South Asia, demands a new regional model. According to him, the next stage of IMEC must become a platform not only for transportation and trade, but also for agriculture, livestock development and long term food resilience. Integrating these nations into the IMEC network would, in his view, create the missing bridge between advanced Middle Eastern capabilities and the vast human potential of South Asia.

The idea is gaining traction. Countries already involved in IMEC, particularly Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and India, possess leading technologies in desert agriculture, water management, smart irrigation, cold chain logistics and food production systems. Extending this ecosystem to Cambodia or Nepal could help stabilize millions who face recurring crop failures and food shortages. Shay emphasizes that this is not charity: it is a strategic partnership that can lift entire regions into a shared growth cycle.

Within the framework he is promoting, the expanded IMEC would establish agricultural development hubs, livestock improvement centers, and regional food security programs. These would combine Israeli precision agriculture, Gulf financing capabilities, Indian market access and local workforce training in South Asia. Such a structure, he says, would turn IMEC into one of the most innovative development corridors operating today.

Shay confirms that he is already advancing diplomatic and professional channels to bring these countries into the conversation. His model includes joint task forces, feasibility assessments, and national development plans tailored to each participating country. The goal is to provide every nation a clear entry point into IMEC while ensuring that their agricultural and nutritional needs are met through modern, scalable systems.

Experts following the initiative view this as a natural extension of the Abraham Accords. The political stability created over the past years now serves as a foundation for long horizon economic projects that reach far beyond the Middle East. Linking the Gulf, the Levant, India and Southeast Asia into a single cooperative structure could, they believe, create one of the largest development zones worldwide.

If successful, the expanded IMEC would reshape the regional balance by connecting food production centers, technology providers, transportation networks and emerging economies into an integrated system. For countries such as Bangladesh or Cambodia, this could mark the first real opportunity in decades to join a sustainable economic cycle instead of remaining trapped in crisis-driven agriculture.

For Shay, who has positioned himself at the intersection of diplomacy, infrastructure and regional development, the mission is clear: “If IMEC is to reach its full potential, it must include those who need it the most. This is how we turn a transport corridor into a growth corridor, and a regional project into a global one.”

Original article by Samuel Shay, developer and economic advisor for the Abraham Accord treaty.