Saudi–Türkiye Regional Railway

Project Overview

Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are targeting a regional railway that would link the two countries through Jordan and Syria, to be completed within three to four years, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on 14 June 2026 (Reuters). He spoke in interviews with Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya (the latter per Railway PRO) and described the route as one that would carry every type of freight to Europe.

Syria's Transport Minister, Yaarub Badr, has described the vision as a rail corridor running from Türkiye through Syria and Jordan to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, meeting a historic need for stronger land links between the Gulf and Europe (SANA, 6 May 2026; Al Jazeera Net). Al Jazeera Net links the corridor to the former Hejaz Railway, which SANA describes as a historic line built between 1900 and 1908 between Damascus and Medina (SANA, 3 April). Speaking at an event of the Turkish Contractors Association in Ankara, Uraloğlu said, as quoted by Anadolu and reported by SANA on 17 June, that Türkiye is making serious efforts to revive the modern Hejaz line, and that work is still needed on the Jordanian and Syrian sides.

Earlier Steps

On 3 April 2026, Uraloğlu said Türkiye would first extend its existing railway to Aleppo, at a cost of about $110 million, and that a working line already runs between Aleppo and Damascus (SANA, citing Anadolu). On 7 April, the transport ministers of Syria, Jordan and Türkiye signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on transport cooperation (SANA, 7 April). Badr said on 6 May that the memorandum, signed in Amman, has the development of the rail transport corridor as one of its main axes (SANA, 6 May; Al Jazeera Net). After the meeting, Uraloğlu told Anadolu that the line was planned to extend to Saudi Arabia and Oman, and that it had been agreed in principle to restart the Hejaz Railway, with a wish to keep the Damascus–Jordan section as it is and turn it into a cultural and tourism line (SANA, 7 April).

On 22 April, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser said the feasibility study for the railway link between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye via Jordan and Syria was expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and that Saudi Arabia's national railway already reaches the Jordanian border at the Al Haditha crossing (Petra).

Scope of Services and Route

Uraloğlu said that in its first phase the rail link would allow goods, oil, natural gas and passengers to move between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Jordan, Syria and Europe. He added that the line could also be used by pilgrims in the Hajj season, and that in future it could help ease problems caused by disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

In his account, the Saudi stretch up to the Jordanian frontier is finished, and so is the Turkish connection through Islahiye, Kilis and Gaziantep close to the Syrian border. What remains is a missing section of roughly 400 kilometers between Syria and Jordan (Reuters). On the Syrian side, he said on 14 June that the investment would include about $100 million for rebuilding the line between Türkiye and Aleppo, creating a direct link to Damascus (see Investment and Financing). Al Jazeera Net reported that Jordan's line uses the old 1,050 mm Hejaz gauge, which does not match modern train standards, while Syria's network uses the 1,435 mm standard gauge.

Participating and Prospective Countries

According to Uraloğlu, the first phase includes Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Jordan and Syria, and other states would join in later phases (Reuters), including:

• United Arab Emirates
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Sultanate of Oman
• Yemen (possibly)

Railway PRO reported that he also mentioned the possibility of including Iraq. On 7 April he said the line was planned to extend to Saudi Arabia and Oman, linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and then Europe (SANA).

Investment and Financing

Uraloğlu told Al Jazeera that a financial plan would be drawn up for the project, and that the investment would include about $100 million to rebuild the line between Türkiye and the Syrian city of Aleppo, creating a direct link to Damascus (Reuters, 14 June; Daily Sabah; Railway PRO). On 3 April he had put the cost of extending the Turkish line to Aleppo at about $110 million (SANA, citing Anadolu).

On the Saudi side, Al-Jasser said the feasibility study was expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and that the project would enhance regional integration, boost trade and contribute to a sustainable land transport network across the region (Petra, 22 April).

Agreements and Frameworks

On 9 June 2026, in Riyadh, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed two memoranda of understanding, one on logistics services and one on the railway sector, with Uraloğlu and Al-Jasser as signatories (Anadolu Agency; Railway PRO; Daily Sabah). Uraloğlu's remarks of 14 June on the timeline and financing came five days later. According to Anadolu, the logistics memorandum aims to facilitate the construction of logistics centers, the operation and management of services and the sharing of expertise, while the railway memorandum aims to foster joint initiatives across the railway sector. Uraloğlu said the cooperation would focus in particular on technology, infrastructure, training and human resources.

Badr said on 6 May that the corridor comes amid disruption to global supply chains and to maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, which showed the need for strategic alternatives (SANA, 6 May; Al Jazeera Net).

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries are part of the regional railway in its first phase?
Uraloğlu named Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Jordan and Syria for the first phase, with the route extending onward to Europe.

What is the stated timeline for completion?
Uraloğlu said on 14 June 2026 that the aim is completion within three to four years.

What section of the corridor still needs to be built?
According to Uraloğlu, a gap of about 400 kilometers between Syria and Jordan remains, while the link between Islahiye, Kilis and Gaziantep in southeastern Türkiye has been completed.

What investment has been mentioned for linking Türkiye with Aleppo?
Uraloğlu said on 14 June that the investment would include about $100 million for rebuilding the line between Türkiye and Aleppo, creating a direct link to Damascus. On 3 April he had put the cost of extending the Turkish line to Aleppo at about $110 million.

What will the railway transport?
Uraloğlu said that in its first phase the line would move goods, oil, natural gas and passengers, and could also serve pilgrims in the Hajj season.

What is the status of the feasibility study?
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser said in April 2026 that the feasibility study for the link via Jordan and Syria was expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Which additional countries could join in later phases?
Uraloğlu named the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and possibly Yemen, and Railway PRO reported that he also mentioned Iraq.

How does the project relate to the Hejaz Railway?
Al Jazeera Net links the corridor to the former Hejaz Railway. On 7 April 2026, Uraloğlu said it had been agreed in principle to restart the Hejaz Railway, and the transport ministers of Syria, Jordan and Türkiye signed a trilateral transport memorandum of understanding in Amman.

UPDATE 06.08.2026, World Bank talks and Syria's rail network

On 6 August 2026, Syrian Transport Minister Yaarub Badr met the World Bank's new Middle East director to discuss support for rehabilitating Syria's railways and transport infrastructure, SANA reported; Al Jazeera Net reported the meeting on 7 August. The World Bank side said that once the partnership-framework requirements and the necessary financing were completed, the project could be presented to the Bank's board as soon as possible, and that available resources could finance technical and feasibility studies and project preparation. The talks concern the rehabilitation of Syria's own railway network. At an earlier meeting with a World Bank mission on 13 May, Badr described Syria as a main corridor linking Europe and the Gulf through a rail network running from Türkiye via Syria and Jordan to Saudi Arabia, and the mission confirmed that it had received the Syrian government's financing request (SANA, 13 May).

Badr put Syria's rail network at about 2,800 km: 2,500 km of standard gauge and 300 km of narrow gauge, with about 1,050 km of standard track operating, and said rehabilitation would proceed in phases, starting with sections that can be restored quickly (SANA). Al Jazeera Net added that he had earlier said only about 1,000 km of the network was serviceable, that the ministry announced in April about $200 million in World Bank grant funding for railway infrastructure, and that Badr put railway damage at about $5.5 billion.

The talks also covered a proposal by CMA CGM to study moving containers by rail from the Latakia port container terminal to dry ports in Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, a route within Syria, including a possible public–private partnership (SANA). On the regional corridor, Al Jazeera Net recalled that Badr said in June that the Syrian and Saudi transport ministries were in contact on regional rail links, with the concept being to connect Türkiye and Europe through Syria to Jordan, then Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Anadolu Agency reported on 9 June 2026 that the Turkish and Saudi transport ministers signed memoranda of understanding on logistics services and on the railway sector.

UPDATE 27.08.2026, Syria–Saudi memoranda on railways and roads

On 27 August 2026, Syrian Transport Minister Yaarub Badr and Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser signed two memoranda of understanding in Damascus, one on railways and one on roads (SANA). The railway memorandum aims to develop the sector, raise its operating efficiency and make national and regional networks compatible, with cooperation on technical expertise and specifications, digitization and signalling, and rail safety. The roads memorandum is between the Syrian Ministry of Transport and Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Roads.

Badr told SANA that the memoranda need about six months for coordination and for defining an executive program, are valid for five years and renew automatically by mutual consent, and that the cooperation makes Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia an important land bridge, by road and rail, for people and goods moving between Europe and the Gulf. Al-Jasser said that developing infrastructure and linking border areas through Jordanian territory to national networks was an important step. The Saudi minister was received the same day by President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA).

UPDATE 15.09.2026, World Bank mission on the rail rehabilitation project

On 15 September 2026, Badr met a World Bank mission at the Transport Ministry in Damascus to review the project to rehabilitate and develop Syria's railway sector (SANA). Badr said the ministry is preparing a comprehensive strategy to restore the sector's role as a regional link, including identifying the corridors with the highest economic feasibility, and welcomed private-sector partnership in operation and investment while safeguarding the state's rights.

The World Bank representatives outlined the support proposed, covering funding for studies on institutional and operational frameworks, rehabilitation of tracks, signalling systems, locomotives and maintenance equipment, and training. The two sides agreed to complete technical cost estimates and coordinate the start of advance procurement, building on studies prepared by the General Establishment of Syrian Railways. The meeting also discussed again the CMA CGM proposal for a rail container study from Latakia to dry ports in Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, a route within Syria.