Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has launched a new rail corridor dedicated to freight transport, designed as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, amid a regional context marked by major disruptions in maritime transport. The initiative comes as a direct response to the bottlenecks caused by the closure of this key chokepoint for global trade and to recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have increased pressure on logistics chains.
The new corridor connects ports in the Persian Gulf—including Dammam, King Fahd Industrial Port, and Jubail Commercial Port—with the Al Haditha border crossing on the border with Jordan. Thus, the rail infrastructure creates a direct link between Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and markets in the northern part of the region, facilitating faster and more stable trade flows.
Alternative to the Strait of Hormuz
Through this route, Saudi Arabia offers an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for freight transport, providing direct rail access to Jordan and, consequently, to the Port of Aqaba on the Red Sea, as well as to other markets in the region. The corridor operates in both directions, allowing for both the export and import of goods via a single integrated land route.
With a length of over 1,700 km, the new connection has the potential to cut transit times in half compared to road transport. At the same time, trains can carry large volumes—over 400 containers per train—which helps increase logistics capacity and streamline trade flows in the region.
SAR representatives emphasize that the project not only diversifies transport routes but also strengthens the links between seaports and land border crossings. Furthermore, the new corridor reduces dependence on long-distance road transport and optimizes the use of existing infrastructure.
In addition to economic benefits, the project also offers significant operational and environmental advantages: it reduces the number of trucks on the roads, helps protect road infrastructure, improves transport safety, and reduces carbon emissions by utilizing a more energy-efficient mode of transport.
This initiative aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the Vision 2030 program, through which Saudi Arabia aims to become a regional logistics hub capable of efficiently integrating maritime, rail, and road transport.
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