India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) 2.0?
IMEC is an Indian hair-brained scheme to bypass the Red Sea and troublesome Houthis by devising an overland route to Europe. Maritime traffic will go to the UAE; from there it will move overland by truck and rail through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel to the port of Haifa. There it will be loaded on ships to Europe. War and the sheer stupidity of the scheme have set it aside for the time being. Work has progressed on the India-UAE link. Now it seems Pakistan is also joining this end.
Pakistan–Dubai ports framework agreement is the January 2024 inter-governmental deal between Pakistan and Dubai/DP World(Please see the Appendix 1 for details of this company and its former Chairman) that set up cooperation in marine logistics, a dedicated freight corridor, and an economic zone near Karachi. It seems National Logistical Corporation (NLC) of Pakistan will take the lead from this end. The recent takeover of PNSC could be to facilitate the action.
The latest Pakistan–Dubai ports framework agreement is the January 2024 inter-governmental deal between Pakistan and Dubai/DP World that set up cooperation in marine logistics, a dedicated freight corridor, and an economic zone near Karachi. It was signed in Davos and names DP World as Dubai’s nominated entity, with Port Qasim Authority acting for Pakistan.
What it covers
The agreement focuses on developing a multimodal logistics park, freight terminals, and a dedicated freight corridor linked to Karachi. It also includes dredging the navigation channel and creating an economic zone at Port Qasim to attract more than US$3 billion in investment.
Main projects
One major project under the framework is the Karachi Port to Pipri Marshalling Yard freight corridor, which is meant to improve cargo movement and reduce logistics costs. Another is the Port Qasim economic zone, which is intended to expand industrial activity around the port area. The dredging work is part of making port access deeper and more efficient for larger shipping operations.
There is consideration for a feeder shipping service between Pakistan and UAE.
Current status
By early 2026, the partnership was still active, with Pakistan’s president discussing continued port, rail, and logistics cooperation with DP World leadership. A reported first phase of a $400 million freight corridor linking Karachi Port and Pipri was formally partnered in September 2025, showing the framework had moved into implementation. So this is not just a paper agreement anymore; it has already progressed into concrete logistics and rail development.
Without the overland portion, it is beneficial for Pakistan. We get a $3 Billion investment to improve logistics infrastructure.
Appendix 1
Dubai Ports World (DP World) is an investment arm of the UAE, investing in maritime ports and infrastructure. Its last Chairman & CEO was Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. He had a long-standing relationship with the infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. A treasure trove of sexually explicit emails was discovered. Among them, he evaluated the girls he had exploited and a quote “I loved the torture video”. He was fired after the connection with Epstein was discovered.
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