Key Takeaways
- Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are planning a railway running from Jeddah through Makkah, Madinah, Jordan, and Syria to Istanbul
- The feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, according to Saudi Transport Minister Saleh al-Jasser
- The project revives the spirit of the historic Hejaz Railway, originally built between 1900 and 1908 under the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are moving forward with plans for a major railway corridor that would run from Jeddah through Makkah al-Mukarramah (Grand Mosque) and Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah, then north through Jordan and Syria, all the way to Istanbul.
Saudi Transport Minister Saleh al-Jasser said the railway would “enhance regional integration, support trade, and develop a sustainable land transport system between countries of the region.”
Where the Saudi Rail Network Stands Today
Saudi Arabia Railways launched a logistics corridor in March linking eastern Saudi ports to Al Haditha near the Jordanian border, creating a route for cargo moving north. Al-Jasser said this crossing is now a strategic point for future expansion into wider regional and international links.
Saudi Arabia’s ports and corridors are already working in an integrated manner to keep regional trade flowing, and the country has the capacity to receive over 17 million containers annually.
Türkiye’s Role and the Wider Corridor
The first phase of the project centres on upgrading the Türkiye–Syria–Jordan line as the backbone of the route. From there, it would extend southward to integrate with Saudi Arabia’s rail network.
On 7 April, Türkiye, Jordan, and Syria signed a transport cooperation memorandum in Amman aimed at boosting regional trade and improving road and rail connectivity.
Türkiye’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu has described the wider effort as building a continuous north–south trade axis linking Europe with the Gulf.
A Dream of Ottoman History
The original Hejaz Railway was ordered by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in March 1900, with the goal of connecting Istanbul to the holy city of Makkah.
Construction was interrupted by the First World War, and the line reached only as far as Madinah — around 400 kilometres short of its intended destination.
The completed Damascus-to-Madinah section stretched approximately 1,300 kilometres. It was the only railway fully built and operated by the Ottoman Empire.
Now, more than a century later, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are working to extend that vision across the same lands.
The railway remains in the study phase, and officials have not yet announced construction timelines, financing terms, or final route details for the segments crossing Jordan and Syria.
