Saudi Arabia-Turkey travel: Could the historic Hejaz Railway be making a comeback?

Dubai: Saudi Arabia and Turkey have signed a pair of transport and logistics agreements that could accelerate efforts to establish a new overland trade corridor linking the Gulf with Europe and potentially revive sections of the historic Hejaz Railway network stretching across the Middle East.

The memorandums of understanding, signed by Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al Jasser and Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu, cover cooperation in railways, logistics services, infrastructure development, technology transfer and workforce training.

The agreements come as regional governments intensify efforts to rebuild transport links disrupted by years of conflict and political instability, particularly in Syria, which sits at the heart of any future land route connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

Uraloglu said the accords are just the beginning of a new phase of cooperation aimed at strengthening technical expertise, logistics infrastructure and regional connectivity. He said the two countries would expand collaboration across a broad range of sectors, from logistics centres to modern transport applications.

Under the logistics agreement, Riyadh and Ankara will cooperate on the development and operation of logistics hubs, knowledge-sharing initiatives and joint projects. The railway agreement focuses on expanding cooperation in rail technology, infrastructure, training and human capital development.

The deals are part of regional efforts to create an integrated transport corridor linking Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Gulf states. Earlier this year, transport officials from Türkiye, Syria and Jordan agreed on a roadmap to rehabilitate cross-border transport infrastructure over the next four to five years, laying the groundwork for renewed rail and road connectivity across the region.

Turkish authorities have already begun restoring railway lines near the Syrian border that have been out of service for nearly 15 years. If completed, the planned corridor would connect Türkiye's rail network with southern Europe before extending through Aleppo and Damascus, continuing south to Amman and Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba, with onward connections to Gulf markets.

Uraloglu said recent trial shipments travelling from Türkiye through Iraq to Saudi Arabia had demonstrated the viability of the concept.

"Two test runs starting from Türkiye through Iraq and extending to Saudi Arabia have clearly demonstrated the feasibility of this route," he said.

The agreements have also renewed attention on plans to modernise the historic Hejaz Railway, the Ottoman-era line that once connected Damascus with Medina. Earlier this month, Uraloglu announced ambitions to restore and expand parts of the railway network, eventually extending connectivity towards Oman as part of a wider regional transport system.