Turkiye and Saudi Arabia reached a historic milestone in the transportation and logistics relations by signing memorandum of understanding agreements in transport, railway fields, the Turkish transport and infrastructure minister said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.
“In this context, we are launching a new phase that will strengthen the exchange of expertise and technical cooperation across a wide range of areas, from logistics centers to modern applications,” Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
He said the two countries are also advancing their joint efforts in the railway sector by establishing a stronger and more sustainable framework for cooperation, particularly in the fields of technology, infrastructure, training, and human resources.
“May these steps, which will contribute to the connectivity, trade, and development of our region, bring lasting benefits to both our countries,” he added.
The Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry also stated that the agreement was signed by Uraloglu and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.
Uraloglu said: “Prior to 2012, our annual bilateral transport volume had reached 20,000.
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“Although we currently fall short of that figure due to regional developments, our goal is to take our cooperation beyond even that level.”
In this context, the two countries are closely monitoring developments on the Syria-Jordan-Iraq routes, adding: “Two test runs starting from Türkiye through Iraq and extending to Saudi Arabia have clearly demonstrated the feasibility of this route.”
The “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Logistics Services” aims to facilitate the construction of logistics centers, the operation and management of services, the sharing of expertise, and the development of joint activities.
The “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Railway Sector,” meanwhile, aims to foster joint initiatives across all areas of the railway sector.
Earlier this month, Uraloglu has said Türkiye plans to modernize the historic Hejaz Railway and extend it to Oman to create an alternative global trade route to the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that Türkiye aims to revive the historical line for both tourism and modern transit, explaining that the initial stage involves connecting Türkiye to Aleppo, utilizing the existing Aleppo-Damascus-Jordan network while continuing negotiations with Saudi authorities.
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