en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 14, local time, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that Turkey and Saudi Arabia plan to build a railway connecting the two countries, Jordan, and Syria within the next three to four years, with direct access to Europe. This railway will help alleviate transportation difficulties caused by potential disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in the future.

In an interview that day, Uraloglu said that Turkey and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding on logistics and railway cooperation, which includes the aforementioned project.

Uraloglu explained that the railway project aims to create a direct freight transport corridor to Europe. Currently, the section from Saudi Arabia to the Jordanian border has been completed; within Turkey, the section from Islahiye to Kilis and Gaziantep in the southeast near the Syrian border has also been finished. Approximately 400 kilometers of track remain to be built between Syria and Jordan.

Uraloglu stated that the railway will initially facilitate the transport of goods, oil, natural gas, and passenger travel between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Europe. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen may also join the project in the future.

Uraloglu said that a financing plan will be developed for the railway project, including an investment of approximately $100 million to rebuild the railway line from Turkey to Aleppo, Syria, opening a direct route to the Syrian capital, Damascus.