The Iranian war did not only inflame geography, but redefined trade security after exposing the fragility of traditional routes, especially after considering the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic corridor amid geopolitical tensions at the core of disputes within negotiations aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, even after the United States and Iran signed an initial agreement, and Iran insists that there will be no return to the pre-war situation when ships passed freely, and Tehran does not allow passage except through a single corridor along its coast, and threatened to take action against any ship violating this rule, thereby opening the door to a new race and redrawing new trade routes and corridors; rather, maritime chokepoints and energy corridors turned into a major arena of conflict, imposing a new logistical and economic reality, and even became a true test of the challenges of the Gulf economic model for decades, after the energy trade model was built on the assumption that this artery would remain open no matter how intense the tensions.

Saudi Arabia had been most foresighted about the danger for decades, especially after the Tanker War crisis in the 1980s, so it established an east-west line extending 1,200 km, the first response to the potential choking of the Gulf. Saudi Arabia did not enter a crisis like other Gulf countries; it proved itself a reliable global energy supplier. In the mid-20th century, the Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline) was built to transport Saudi oil overland to the Mediterranean, from Abqaiq to Sidon port in Lebanon, with a length of approximately 1,648 km, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's imposition of mandatory navigation routes and fees posed a direct challenge to free international navigation laws, resulting in record-high container shipping costs. Moreover, the decline in oil and gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz exposed energy supply chains in Europe and Asia to price shocks and potential shortages, and led to a redirection of global supply chains to avoid risks.

The militarization of corridors pushed regional countries to diversify their economic and defense strategies, and to move toward building land bridges and new logistical infrastructures across the desert to bypass the maritime bottleneck. The balance of geography could change radically, especially if a pipeline network linking Gulf countries to the Red Sea or the Arabian Sea is established, or if the east-west line is expanded to increase capacity without entering the complexities of cross-border projects, meaning oil distributed along multiple routes reduces risks and enhances economic stability. Saudi Arabia, by virtue of its location, has the ability to become the bridge.

Saudi Arabia is a global logistics hub that can redirect trade toward new routes. With the development of Yanbu and Jeddah ports, including the depth being built as part of the NEOM project, it integrates with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan, which aims to make it a global logistics hub, especially with its launch of investments in the logistics sector during the period 2023-2034 worth 1.6 trillion riyals, developing 59 logistics centers by 2030.

The Hejaz Railway line between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, a line halted due to World War I, is returning today because of the Iranian war. The project is no longer just a logistical project; it has become a top-tier political project. It is an alternative artery if the Strait of Hormuz or Bab el-Mandeb becomes choked.

Saudi Arabia stands at the heart of this transformation and at the heart of these alternatives, using its weight to push this project forward along with Turkey, given Saudi Arabia's geographic location linking Asia to Europe and its provision of investments. All connectivity projects pass through Saudi Arabia. These factors open the door to a different reading. These types of projects and initiatives reflect a deeper move beyond passenger transport to positioning Saudi Arabia on the map of connectivity between Asia and Europe.

Arabs and the Peoples of the Middle East

It is not a revival of the past but an entirely new project, larger, faster, and more ambitious. The route was built in the early 20th century between Damascus and Medina, 1,464 km long. After World War I, the center of gravity shifted to Hormuz, the world's largest energy artery. But about a century later, in March 2026, the world began looking at the old file of the forgotten rails in the desert. It is a project bypassing Hormuz and even Bab el-Mandeb, for transporting energy and goods. It has moved beyond the study phase, and there is a memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabia and Turkey to be finalized before 2026.

A huge logistics network will be created to transport oil and goods, linking supply chains from the Gulf to European markets to reduce shipping costs and increase the volume of integrated economic development. The idea of the project is old, but the Iranian war started thinking about it, pushing this project to become an alternative corridor. It represents a logistical and strategic solution that bypasses the bottleneck.

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Former Professor of Economic and Political Geography at Umm Al-Qura University