BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Saudi Arabia is developing new logistics routes whose impact extends far beyond the country’s borders, and Azerbaijan could become part of the next phase of this transformation, Ziya Mammadov, deputy head of the marketing division at the Marketing and Tariff Policy Department of Azerbaijan Railways, wrote on his social media account, Trend reports.
"Saudi Arabian Railways is launching five new rail logistics routes connecting the ports of the Persian Gulf with the Red Sea, which will reduce road transport and increase the efficiency of global trade. “This is a strategic step within the Vision 2030 program, aimed at strengthening the country’s role as a key trade hub between the East and the West,” the publication states.
Mamedov noted that by connecting Gulf ports with inland industrial zones, northern regions, the Red Sea, and neighboring markets, Saudi Arabia is creating faster and more sustainable supply chains.
"However, the key strategic question is where these trade flows can be directed next. Azerbaijan could play a potentially significant role here. As a key hub of the Middle Corridor, Azerbaijan could serve as a natural ‘bridge’ from the Persian Gulf region through the Caspian Sea, Georgia, and Turkey to Europe. Thanks to infrastructure assets such as the Port of Baku, the Alat Free Economic Zone, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and the TRIPP corridor, Azerbaijan could become a vital link in the future logistics networks of the Gulf states," he said.
According to Mammadov, if multimodal transport between China and Saudi Arabia via the Middle Corridor develops, this could provide several strategic advantages for the region in the long term. "Given the heightened risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz, the availability of alternative routes would enhance the resilience of supply chains. Through the Middle Corridor, cargo flows could be diversified, transit times reduced, and the logistical role of regional countries, including Azerbaijan, strengthened. This would also stimulate investment in ports, railways, warehouse infrastructure, and digital customs solutions," he said.
The publication emphasizes that, with proper coordination, this could mean: faster freight routes between the Gulf and Europe; new flows of petrochemical and container cargo; greater diversification of corridors; and increased resilience of regional supply chains.
“The next stage of Eurasian logistics may not involve replacing one corridor with another, but rather integrating them. In this system, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan may turn out to be closer than they seem,” Mammadov concluded.
On August 8, 2025, following a trilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration on ensuring peace between Baku and Yerevan and establishing transport links between the main part of Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan. This project was named “Trump’s Route for International Peace and Prosperity.”
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route that passes through a number of countries in the region and connects Asia with Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and runs through the countries of Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a land route that bypasses longer sea routes, connecting the eastern regions of Asia, including China, with Europe.