Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed multiple major MoUs to cooperate in the railway and logistics sectors, among which is an agreement to expand railway connectivity between the two nations.
The signing of the MoUs follows a trilateral agreement signed by Turkiye, Syria and Jordan which started the process to revive the historic Hejaz Railway, which would link the Hejaz region from Mecca all the way to Istanbul in Europe.
The original Hejaz Railway was a project that was launched by the Ottoman Empire in 1908 and was operational until 1920. It linked Istanbul to Medina, passing through Damascus and a branch extending into Palestine.
Trips between Damascus and Medina took 40 days before 1908. The railway shortened it to five days.
The historic railway was abandoned in 1920. The new project hopes to connect the Gulf region to the Levant and Europe with ease of trade and connectivity, as well as circumvent the Strait of Hormuz if the project connects to the GCC railway project and extends to Oman's Arabian Sea coast.
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