History is not so much past as vigorously present, often a scab to be irritated in fitful anger, or a romantic affectation to be cherished.  When it comes to controlling trade and establishing new routes, this is particularly apt.  The Hejaz Railway project, seemingly long past, is now being dusted down.  In a June 9 memorandum of understanding signed between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, a railway line is envisaged between the two countries that will traverse Jordan and Syria and create a strategic logistics artery linking the Gulf states to Europe.

According to a media release from the Saudi Press Agency, the agreement will focus “on enhancing cooperation on railway standards, technologies, and related innovations, while facilitating the exchange of expertise and knowledge on best practices in the design, operation and maintenance of railway projects.”  There is much in the way of everything railway related – engineering, expertise, maintenance, innovations – but the historical, and strategic potency of the agreement is unmistakable.  As former advisor to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Salem Al-Yami, wistfully notes, this new project draws inspiration from the Ottoman-era railway built in 1900, covering 1,300 kilometres from Damascus to Medina.

The MoU between Ankara and Riyadh also came several months after the transport ministries of Türkiye, Syria and Jordan had reached a separate agreement envisaging a technical roadmap lasting five years intended to revivify the transportation infrastructure of the three states.

For Israel, this has more than tickled a nerve.  Rather than seeing it as a healthy instance of regional competition on matters relating to transport and trade, a reinvigorated Hejaz railway is seen as threatening to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor........

© Middle East Monitor