A new rail route connecting T\u00fcrkiye 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2013Middle East\u2013Europe 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\u2019s regional influence.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye, 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\u2019s Trade Minister \u00d6mer Bolat said: \u201cThe reduction of Israel\u2019s 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 T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s southern borders.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye ile Suudi Arabistan aras\u0131ndaki i\u015f birli\u011fini lojistik ve demiryolu alanlar\u0131nda daha ileriye ta\u015f\u0131yacak temaslar i\u00e7in Riyad\u2019day\u0131z.<\/p>\n
Ziyaretlerimiz kapsam\u0131nda Kral Halid Uluslararas\u0131 Havaliman\u0131’nda devam eden \u00e7al\u0131\u015fmalara ili\u015fkin bilgi alarak Laban Vadisi K\u00f6pr\u00fcs\u00fc Projesi\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Nh4SnCzZJY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Abdulkadir URALO\u011eLU (@a_uraloglu) June 9, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Meanwhile, fans of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman commented on a social media page dedicated to him that the rail plane delivers a \u201cfatal blow to one of Israel\u2019s most strategically significant economic projects.\u201d<\/p>\n Commenting on the breakthrough, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uralo\u011flu\u00a0described the smooth flow of goods is critical. \u201cAt 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udccd#T\u00fcrkiyeH\u0131zlan\u0131yor<\/a><\/p>\n As\u0131rlar boyunca k\u0131talar\u0131 birbirine ba\u011flayan ticaret yollar\u0131n\u0131n merkezinde yer alan bu kadim topraklar, bug\u00fcn de b\u00f6lgesel ba\u011flant\u0131sall\u0131\u011f\u0131n ve ekonomik i\u015f birli\u011finin g\u00fc\u00e7l\u00fc bir akt\u00f6r\u00fc olmay\u0131 s\u00fcrd\u00fcr\u00fcyor.<\/p>\n T\u00fcrkiye ile Suudi Arabistan aras\u0131nda ula\u015ft\u0131rma, lojistik\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/zuZenKkkPO<\/a><\/p>\n