Turkey and Saudi Arabia are planning to build a railway linking the two countries through Syria and Jordan within the next three to four years, a project designed to strengthen trade, energy transportation and regional connectivity while providing an alternative route to maritime shipping disrupted by geopolitical tensions.
Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Sunday that the proposed railway would eventually extend beyond the two countries, with several Gulf states expected to join the network as part of a broader regional transport corridor.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Uraloglu said the railway would help reduce the impact of disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where regional conflict involving Iran has complicated global trade and energy flows.
The project is outlined in a memorandum of understanding on logistics cooperation and railway development signed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia last week.
During the first phase, the railway would transport freight, crude oil, natural gas and passengers between Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Europe, creating a direct overland corridor connecting the Gulf with European markets.
According to Uraloglu, the network is expected to expand in later stages to include the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and potentially Yemen, transforming it into one of the region’s largest transportation initiatives.
“A train leaving from Saudi Arabia, from Riyadh already reaches several regions of Saudi Arabia. So this is a project for it to reach Turkey via Jordan and Syria. We are talking about a route that will carry every type of freight via this route to Europe,” Uraloglu said.
He noted that significant portions of the railway have already been completed. Saudi Arabia has finished the section leading to its border with Jordan, while Turkey has completed rail connections from Islahiye to Kilis and Gaziantep near the Syrian frontier.
The principal obstacle remains a roughly 400-kilometer (249-mile) gap between Jordan and Syria, which will require new infrastructure before the corridor can operate continuously from the Gulf to Europe.
Beyond commercial transportation, the railway is also expected to facilitate travel for Muslims undertaking the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, offering a new overland option for religious travelers across the region.
The project reflects Turkey’s increasingly close relationship with Syria’s new government following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s administration at the end of 2024. Ankara has pledged to support Syria’s reconstruction and restore critical infrastructure damaged during years of conflict.
Uraloglu said a financing framework for the railway would be developed in the coming months. The investment plan includes approximately $100 million to rebuild the rail connection between southern Turkey and the Syrian city of Aleppo, establishing a direct railway link that would eventually extend to Damascus and integrate with the broader regional network.
If completed on schedule, the railway would become one of the Middle East’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, creating a strategic land bridge linking Gulf economies with Europe while enhancing regional trade, energy security and passenger transportation.
