Saudi Arabia Railways launches 5 new logistics routes to boost supply chains

The new routes connect Arabian Gulf ports with central and northern Saudi regions, extending to the Red Sea and neighboring countries to the north, the report said.  The initiative utilizes a multimodal transport network combining rail and road systems, supporting Saudi Arabia’s strategy to become a global logistics hub under Saudi Vision 2030, it said.  It said this network facilitates the transportation of petrochemicals and minerals, directly linking industrial centers to shipping lines, cutting transit times and boosting efficiency.

CEO of Saudi Arabia Railways Bashar AlMalik said the expansion will strengthen Saudi Arabia’s role as a vital East-West logistical corridor, ensuring smoother trade amid global supply chain shifts

SAR’s CEO Bashar Al-Malik affirmed that the rapid development witnessed in the railway sector comes with the support and attention of the wise leadership and under the follow-up of the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of SAR’s Board of Directors, Saleh Al-Jasser, who attaches great importance to this sector for its role as an enabler of various national sectors.

He noted that these corridors represent an integrated package of logistics solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency and reliability under various conditions, based on integration between different transport modes and coordination with relevant authorities to improve cargo flow fluidity and enhance logistics operations efficiency.

These passageways contribute to transporting various types of goods and enabling national supply chains, supporting vital sectors, foremost among them petrochemical and mining industries, in addition to enhancing the flow of exports and imports, and providing effective solutions for transit transport services to regional markets.  The passages also serve a wide customer base, including major industrial companies, mining firms, and the largest maritime shipping lines, through integrated and reliable transport solutions that help reduce cargo transit time and improve operational efficiency.

These operations are managed through an integrated system that includes the Riyadh Dry Port, and a number of SAR’s freight yards in Dammam, and Jubail, as well as Ras Al-Khair, Al-Kharj, and Hail, in addition to Qurayyat, connecting to various Arabian Gulf ports and Red Sea ports, enhancing connectivity between ports and local and international industrial and economic hubs.

The corridors are expected to eliminate thousands of truck trips from roads, raise road safety levels, reduce carbon emissions, as well as reduce cargo transit time and improve operational efficiency, reinforcing SAR’s role as a key national enabler of the transport and logistics system.

Al-Malik added that these corridors contribute to strengthening connectivity with regional and international markets, consolidating the Kingdom’s role as a logistics passage linking East and West, and supporting the fluidity of trade movement, thereby reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub and a key axis in international trade flows.