Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cross-border rail connectivity and facilitate freight movements between the two countries.
Signed in Riyadh on October 8, the agreement establishes general principles for rail connectivity and provides for technical and economic studies, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The cooperation is intended to improve supply-chain efficiency and support cross-border trade and transport. The announcement did not specify routes, project costs, construction timelines or a date for freight services to begin.
The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
The development comes as South Africa promotes exports to Gulf markets. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition supported a selling mission to Saudi Arabia in November 2025, focused on agro-processing and health businesses, as part of efforts to expand value-added exports.
The MoU also covers electricity interconnection and power trading.
