This $4 Billion Bridge Could Connect Asia And Africa In A Meaningful Way

For several decades, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have considered physically connecting their two countries using a massive sea bridge. The project — first proposed in the 1980s — was unofficially dubbed the Moses Bridge as a cultural reference to Moses parting the Red Sea (on which the bridge is proposed). Besides connecting Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the bridge would also have become the first usable land-based road and trade connection between Asia and Africa. This underlines the significance of the pivotal role this region can play, similar to the importance of the communication cables under the Red Sea that are critical to global digital infrastructure. 

The bridge project was revived by Saudi King Salman during a 2016 visit to Egypt. However, this was followed by a long period of silence. Just when everyone thought the mega bridge was likely not happening, a senior official from Egypt revealed in 2025 that construction plans were still underway. In addition to being a staggering 32 km (20 miles) long, this proposed bridge is expected to cost $4 billion to build, with the funding coming almost entirely from Saudi Arabia. Yet even with its prodigious length, the project still would not count among the longest bridges on the planet. 

However, if completed, this crossing would offer the first meaningful, usable land connection between Africa and Asia. Now, the two continents are indeed connected physically by land through the borders between Egypt, Israel, and Palestine. While the land route through Gaza is closed, Israel's Taba border crossing is open. But due to the geopolitical situation in the region, the route is not used for large-scale trade. The Moses bridge would rectify this, boosting trade between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and allowing the rest of Africa to obtain affordable, easy road access to Asia.

If things go to plan, the Moses bridge will be constructed close to the popular Egyptian beach destination Sharm El-Sheikh. This tourist spot is located at the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Just off the coast of this beach resort lies Saudi-controlled Tiran Island, which the narrow Strait of Tiran is named after. The 2016 proposal proposed that the bridge would pass through the island before joining the mainland of Saudi Arabia at Ras Al-Sheikh Hamid, located a few miles away.

Now, while the name Ras Al-Sheikh Hamid may not be familiar to many, what is possibly more famous is Saudi Arabia's 100-mile-long city project called "The Line", part of a newly developed area known as NEOM located in the region. The proposed Moses Bridge would give NEOM a direct connection from Africa, thereby giving a major boost to this massive $500 billion project. Lying at the crossroads between Africa and Asia, the new land connection could help increase the long-term viability of an already expensive project.

All things considered, it is important to note that nothing concrete has emerged from either Saudi or Egyptian officials apart from a single announcement by an Egyptian minister that the Moses Bridge project is back on track. As of early 2026, there is still no word on any progress, and everything still appears to be on the drawing board. It is also important to note that Israel, which isn't too far from the bridge's proposed location, has expressed its concerns with the project in the past. It remains to be seen whether the Moses Bridge eventually overcomes these financial and geopolitical challenges and becomes a reality.