Secure Green Land Corridor Links Oman and Saudi Arabia

Oman and Saudi Arabia launched the Secure Green Land Corridor in August 2026 as a direct land logistics route across the Rub’ al Khali, also called the Empty Quarter. The corridor connects Sohar Port in Oman with an inland dry-port facility in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and is designed for freight movement between the two countries.

Secure Green Land Corridor

The Secure Green Land Corridor is a bilateral logistics route that uses a cross-border highway through the Empty Quarter. The route was activated through a strategic partnership between Oman-based Arkan Logistics and Saudi Arabia’s SPARK Logistics.

The corridor was announced after a bilateral logistics agreement by the Saudi Ministry of Transport on 6 August 2026. The physical highway through the Rub’ al Khali had opened to traffic in December 2021 and provided the infrastructure base for the later logistics arrangement.

Route and Geographical Setting

The Rub’ al Khali is one of the largest continuous sand deserts in the world and extends across Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The corridor bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and also avoids UAE transit borders for selected freight movements.

Sohar Port is a major Omani port on the Gulf of Oman, while Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province contains key industrial and logistics facilities. The corridor links maritime and inland freight systems through a land route across the desert.

Construction and Logistics Features

The Saudi portion of the highway is 564 kilometres long and cost SAR 2 billion, or about US$533 million. Construction required the movement of 150 million cubic metres of sand through the Empty Quarter.

The direct land route reduces overland transit time by 14 to 18 hours for freight using the corridor. The route is intended for logistics efficiency and not as a substitute for the large-scale maritime transport of crude oil.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Rub’ al Khali is also known as the Empty Quarter and is a major desert in the Arabian Peninsula.
• The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
• Sohar Port is located in Oman and serves as a key gateway for trade on the Gulf of Oman coast.
• SPARK Logistics is linked with Saudi Arabia’s logistics and industrial transport network in the Eastern Province.

Static GK Points

Cross-border land corridors are used to move goods by road between two states through designated customs and transport arrangements. Dry ports are inland freight terminals that handle cargo operations away from seaports.