Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed two memoranda of understanding on Tuesday to expand cooperation in logistics and railways as the two countries explore new land routes connecting the Gulf with Turkey and Europe.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser signed the agreements following talks in Riyadh.
The first memorandum covers cooperation in logistics services, including the construction of logistics centers, the operation and management of services, the exchange of expertise and the development of joint activities.
The second establishes a framework for cooperation across the rail sector, including infrastructure modernization, railway technology, technical standards, signaling and communications systems, training and workforce development.
“We are launching a new phase that will strengthen the exchange of expertise and technical cooperation across a wide range of areas, from logistics centers to modern applications,” Uraloğlu said in a social media post.
He said the agreements would put cooperation on railway technology, infrastructure, training and human resources on a stronger and more sustainable foundation.
The memoranda do not announce the construction of a new railway, a budget or a timetable for specific infrastructure projects.
They were signed as Turkey and Saudi Arabia discuss possible land and rail corridors through Iraq, Syria and Jordan that could carry freight between the Gulf, Turkey and European markets.
Uraloğlu said two test freight journeys from Turkey through Iraq to Saudi Arabia had demonstrated that the road route was viable.
A separate proposal would connect Saudi Arabia with Turkey by rail through Jordan and Syria, using parts of the historic Hejaz Railway corridor.
Al-Jasser said in April that joint studies for that route were expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
No final route, construction schedule or financing plan has been announced.
Turkey, Syria and Jordan signed a memorandum in Amman on April 7 to improve road and rail connections and develop a regional transport network.
The plan includes restoring links damaged or abandoned during years of conflict in Syria and connecting Turkey’s rail network with Aleppo, Damascus and Jordan.
Turkish officials have said the railway could eventually extend into Saudi Arabia and Oman, creating an overland freight route between Europe and the Gulf.
The proposal has gained attention as fighting involving Iran has disrupted shipping and exposed the risks facing maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz and other regional waterways.
Saudi Arabia has also expanded its freight network toward Jordan, launching a logistics corridor in March that connects ports in the kingdom’s east with Al Haditha near the Jordanian border.