RIYADH: Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the proposed railway linking Turkiye and Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing technical evaluation and is expected to strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a regional distribution and logistics hub connecting major global trade routes.
The minister noted that signaling, communications systems, border crossings, and logistics operations will be unified within a single integrated framework, with the first phase focusing on defining the scope of work and costs, as well as assessing financing options and the implementation model.
Regarding engineering obstacles, he denied that there are any insurmountable technical barriers to the rail connectivity project, stressing that implementation will begin once studies are completed, alongside railway construction works spanning 4,000 km in Turkiye as a link to Europe.
However, he said the main technical challenge lies in integrating existing infrastructure and completing missing sections, noting that Saudi Arabia has railway infrastructure extending to the Jordanian border, while parts of the project. particularly in Syria and Jordan, require renewal, rehabilitation, and completion.
The Turkish minister explained that the project aims to build a more flexible network rather than merely the shortest route, steering away from the risks of relying on a single trade corridor, particularly amid regional tensions.
How do you assess the railway line project connecting Turkiye to Saudi Arabia via Jordan and Syria?
Today, one of the most important needs of global trade is the establishment of reliable, sustainable, and alternative transport corridors. We clearly saw the importance of this during the pandemic, regional tensions and conflicts, and disruptions in global supply chains.
Therefore, transport corridors are no longer just an economic issue; they have also become a strategic one. It would be an incomplete reading of this project to see it as merely a new railway line. What is truly at stake is the implementation of a new connectivity vision designed to link the Gulf region with Europe via Turkiye.
Historically, our region has been a center of trade routes, cultural interaction, and economic mobility. However, in recent years, many of these links have weakened due to conflicts, political instability, and infrastructure gaps.
Today, we see a strong will among regional countries to increase cooperation, expand trade, and rebuild transport networks. The railway project being developed between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia is also a result of this understanding.
Once completed, this line will not only connect the two countries; it will enable a continuous railway corridor between the Gulf region and Turkiye via Jordan and Syria. More
By MAHMOUD LAOTA AL-EQTISADIAH https://www.arabnews.com/
