Saudi Arabia and Turkey are advancing feasibility studies for a railway corridor that would connect Istanbul to Makkah and Medina through Syria and Jordan, with a planned branch linking Beirut to Damascus.
Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser said feasibility studies for the project are expected to be completed before the end of the year. The proposed route would revive historic transport links across the Middle East and strengthen trade, tourism and passenger travel between the countries involved.
Initial maps show a branch connecting Beirut to Damascus as part of the corridor. Lebanon's rail network was historically connected to Syria, and the country was linked to the Hejaz Railway system through branch lines that connected Beirut, Tripoli and Damascus.
In recent months Turkey, Syria and Jordan have signed agreements to restore key sections of the historic Hejaz Railway and rebuild regional rail connectivity. The long-term vision includes creating a continuous rail corridor from Turkey through Syria and Jordan to Saudi Arabia's modern railway network.
Major infrastructure work across multiple countries remains required and the project is years away from realisation, though it represents one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to rebuild regional transportation links.
