Saudi, Türkiye plan stronger Gulf–Europe rail freight link

Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have agreed on new rail and logistics cooperation that aims to improve land-based trade routes between the Gulf region and Europe. The focus is on developing logistics centres, improving rail infrastructure, and building a wider transport corridor that could help move goods faster and at lower cost across multiple countries, including Türkiye, Jordan, and potentially Syria. The move is expected to strengthen regional supply chains and give exporters more route options beyond sea shipping.

The agreements cover railway development, technology sharing, training, and joint work on logistics operations. Both sides are also looking at how to connect rail networks more efficiently to support cross-border freight movement and reduce bottlenecks in cargo transport. The aim is to make land routes more reliable for trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Saudi Transport and Logistics Services Minister Saleh Al-Jasser said the agreement will help expand technical cooperation and improve logistics systems across the region. Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the partnership marks a new phase of collaboration focused on infrastructure and logistics development.

The plan is linked to broader regional efforts to create a continuous overland trade corridor connecting the Gulf with Europe. Test shipments have already been carried out on parts of the route, showing potential for more regular freight movement in the future.