Khaberni - Amid escalating regional tensions threatening the most important maritime trade routes, from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb, and due to the repercussions of the American-Israeli war against Iran on energy markets and the global economy, the region is witnessing accelerated strategic transformations.
These transformations are evident in the growing search for alternative trade routes to ensure the continuity of supply chains and reduce dependence on maritime routes that are increasingly fragile in terms of security.
In this context, the project to revive the Hejaz Railway emerges as one of the most prominent land linkage projects, aiming to connect Saudi Arabia to Turkey via Jordan and Syria, reaching Europe, thereby enhancing regional economic integration.
This transformation cannot be separated from the rapid development in political and economic relations between Riyadh, Ankara, Amman, and Damascus. In the context of recent changes in Syria with the fall of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad, there is a gradual path towards repositioning based on economic and political interests. Within this framework, the cross-border train project emerges as one of the most prominent manifestations of this convergence.
The Hejaz Railway project was established in 1900 during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, and it reached Medina in 1908. At that time, the project gained significant strategic importance, combining economic, security, and religious dimensions, as it connected the caliphate's center in Istanbul with the holy cities, symbolizing the unity of the Muslim world, supported by broad donations from various parts of the Muslim world, before the Hejaz Railway was destroyed during World War I and fragmented into separate parts.
Disruption of Navigation
Today, with the escalating tensions related to the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, this historical legacy is again brought into contemporary discussion as an innovative model for the idea of an alternative land corridor.
In the context, recent diplomatic movements have reflected this orientation, including a Turkish announcement about a project to revive the historic line, parallel with Saudi confirmations regarding the progress of railway project works that connect Saudi Arabia to Turkey via Jordan and Syria, covering a distance of approximately 3000 kilometers, reaching Istanbul and from there to Europe.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently announced the revival of this historic line. Concurrently, Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser confirmed that works related to the railway project linking Saudi Arabia to Turkey via Jordan and Syria are nearing completion, highlighting its anticipated role in enhancing trade and transportation in the region.
Turkey boasts an advanced infrastructure in the railway sector, directly linked to the European network. With the ongoing modernization and development of lines in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, observers see that the project can enter operation more smoothly.
In the Jordanian capital Amman, a trilateral meeting was held involving officials from Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, ending with recommendations to enhance cooperation in the transport sector and facilitate the movement of goods between the three countries, paving the way for a more advanced phase of technical and institutional coordination.
The maritime corridors in the Middle East are among the most sensitive points in the global trade system; approximately 20% of global oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while the Bab el-Mandeb serves as a key gateway linking the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. However, repeated security tensions in these corridors, due to conflicts and attacks on shipping lines and military threats, have pushed countries in the region to search for more stable and continuous strategic alternatives.
Strategic Coordination
In parallel, relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have significantly improved in recent years, reflected in a clear growth of economic coordination and investment. Meanwhile, the Jordanian-Saudi path has gradually developed in the areas of logistics and energy, while Syria, after years of isolation and war, is gradually returning to its regional environment through the gateway of reconstruction and economic integration.
This convergence should not be read only in its political context but in a broader context related to reshaping the maps of trade and transportation in the region, where infrastructure has become a central tool for redistributing economic and political influence.
According to observers, the implementation of the railway project will mark a qualitative shift in regional trade infrastructure, connecting Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey in a single railway route, reducing reliance on maritime shipping and enhancing the participating countries' control over trade routes.
This will enhance Jordan's position as a pivotal logistical corridor and offer Syria an opportunity to reintegrate its infrastructure into the regional system, while solidifying Turkey's role as a transit hub between East and West.
However, on the other hand, the project faces significant challenges, the most prominent being:
- The high cost of rehabilitating infrastructure, especially within Syrian territory: the war has caused widespread destruction of parts of the railway, necessitating comprehensive rebuilding.
- The instability in politics and security: The line passes through areas that have experienced armed conflicts, making securing the railway route, which extends across several countries, a significant challenge.
- Financial costs and funding: The project requires substantial investments to rehabilitate the line to be operational according to modern standards.
