Could The Revival of 100-Year Old Saudi-Turkish Hejaz Railway Bypass Hormuz?

By launching a railway corridor stretching from Mecca to Istanbul via Amman and Damascus, with potential extensions to Oman and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey could diversify their economies and expand their geopolitical influence.

But while an integrated rail network could reshape regional trade, at a time when the vulnerabilities of the Strait of Hormuz have become obvious, fully replacing the strategic waterway remains unlikely.

Gaining momentum after two agreements were signed by the Turkish Transport Minister Abdul Kadir Uraloglu and Saudi Saleh bin Nasir Al Jasser in early June, the initiative is to be implemented by the Turkiye State Railways and the Saudi Arabian Railways.