As part of the 62nd cycle of the Hejaz Railway, the Ministries of Transport and Tourism organized a distinguished cultural evening titled “Memories of Hejaz,” hosted at the train display area adjacent to the Ministry of Tourism pavilion. The event served as a tribute to a long historical memory documenting the Hejaz Railway, one of the most prominent transport projects at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Macron pointed out that the Hejaz Railway was one of the greatest engineering achievements in the early twentieth century, combining religious, political, and military dimensions. He emphasized that the project launched by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1900 was not merely a means of transportation but a civilizational link connecting the Ottoman Empire’s center with Islamic holy sites, opening wide horizons for cultural and developmental rapprochement in the region.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Public Institution of the Hejaz Railway, Mohammed Al-Ajmi, confirmed that this evening is part of a national plan to revive the historical memory of the Hejaz Railway, in cooperation with the Ministries of Transport and Tourism. He pointed out that the railway was not just infrastructure but part of Syria’s national and civilizational identity.

Al-Ajmi explained that the institution is currently working on documenting and rehabilitating several old stations in cooperation with the local community, aiming to raise societal awareness about the importance of this heritage. He added, “We are not only preserving a railway track but the memory of a nation and a civilizational identity in which Syria played a pioneering role. We hope these cultural initiatives will contribute to reviving this railway in a manner befitting its rich history.”

The evening witnessed a prominent official presence, represented by Minister of Transport Yaarub Badr, Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani, Deputy Minister of Transport for Land Transport Affairs Mohammed Rahal, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Omar Al-Hasri, and several general directors in the Ministry of Transport, confirming the importance the concerned authorities place on reviving and culturally and touristically activating this heritage.