A new rail route connecting Türkiye and Saudi Arabia is now a step closer to reality, after the signing of an historic agreement between the two countries. The train line would pass through Syria and Jordan, and authorities envisage an Oman extension that would provide an overland alternative to trade and shipping via the troubled Strait of Hormuz.
The new connection is being touted by some as a renaissance for the Hejaz railway, a narrow-gauge Ottoman line from Medina to Istanbul that operated in the early 20th century, but was scuppered by bombings and sabotage during World War I.
Although Israel and the United States have previously supported a cross-border overland route from India to the Middle East and Europe, (the so-called India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, known as IMEC), Israel has failed to secure agreement to the plan from Saudi Arabia, which has insisted on Palestinian autonomy as a pre-condition. With that plan stalling, the latest development between Ankara and Riyadh is widely seen as having been boosted by the current blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and as a way to diminish Israel’s regional influence.
Türkiye, Syria, and Jordan signed a trilateral transport memorandum in Amman back in April 2026, and the most recent signing brings the Saudis on board. At the AA City Economies Summit in Gaziantep near the Turkish Syrian border, Ankara’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said: “The reduction of Israel’s influence in the region, together with increased political and economic solidarity among us, will bring economic prosperity, peace and stability to the Middle East, the Gulf and Türkiye’s southern borders.”
Türkiye ile Suudi Arabistan arasındaki iş birliğini lojistik ve demiryolu alanlarında daha ileriye taşıyacak temaslar için Riyad’dayız.
— Abdulkadir URALOĞLU (@a_uraloglu) June 9, 2026
Ziyaretlerimiz kapsamında Kral Halid Uluslararası Havalimanı'nda devam eden çalışmalara ilişkin bilgi alarak Laban Vadisi Köprüsü Projesi… pic.twitter.com/Nh4SnCzZJY
Meanwhile, fans of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman commented on a social media page dedicated to him that the rail plane delivers a “fatal blow to one of Israel’s most strategically significant economic projects.”
Commenting on the breakthrough, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu described the smooth flow of goods is critical. “At a time when our region is going through a sensitive period, ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of trade and logistics chains has become more critical than ever. Removing obstacles facing the transport sector is a strategic necessity,” he said.
📍#TürkiyeHızlanıyor
— Burhanettin Duran (@burhanduran) June 11, 2026
Asırlar boyunca kıtaları birbirine bağlayan ticaret yollarının merkezinde yer alan bu kadim topraklar, bugün de bölgesel bağlantısallığın ve ekonomik iş birliğinin güçlü bir aktörü olmayı sürdürüyor.
Türkiye ile Suudi Arabistan arasında ulaştırma, lojistik… pic.twitter.com/zuZenKkkPO
Pointing to the 20,000 annual road freight trips that used to take place between the two countries prior to 2012, Uraloğlu added: “Although current figures remain below those levels, our goal is to move cooperation beyond its previous peak.”
As for a timeline, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh al-Jasser said joint studies for the railway should be completed by the end of the year. He hailed the project as enhancing regional integration, supporting trade, and developing “a sustainable land transport system between the countries of the region.”
