Rail link with Saudi Arabia under review, financing options: Turkish transport minister
RIYADH: Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the proposed railway linking Turkiye and Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing technical evaluation and is expected to strengthen the Kingdom's position as a regional distribution and logistics hub connecting major global trade routes.
The minister noted that signaling, communications systems, border crossings, and logistics operations will be unified within a single integrated framework, with the first phase focusing on defining the scope of work and costs, as well as assessing financing options and the implementation model.
Regarding engineering obstacles, he denied that there are any insurmountable technical barriers to the rail connectivity project, stressing that implementation will begin once studies are completed, alongside railway construction works spanning 4,000 km in Turkiye as a link to Europe.
However, he said the main technical challenge lies in integrating existing infrastructure and completing missing sections, noting that Saudi Arabia has railway infrastructure extending to the Jordanian border, while parts of the project. particularly in Syria and Jordan, require renewal, rehabilitation, and completion.
