Oman-based Arkan Logistics and Saudi Arabia’s Spark Logistics have signed an agreement to establish a cross-border freight arrangement using the direct land route between Saudi Arabia and Oman, according to information released about the deal.
The initiative aims to facilitate transit trade, improve supply-chain efficiency and streamline the movement of goods between the two Gulf economies. Financial terms, projected freight volumes and an implementation timetable have not been disclosed.
The agreement builds on the direct Saudi-Omani road connection through the Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, which opened in December 2021 and eliminated the need for road traffic between the two countries to transit through the UAE.
Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority said the Rub’ al-Khali border facility was designed to handle 966 trucks and 1,700 passenger vehicles a day.
The freight arrangement could support activity around Oman’s Al Dhahirah Economic Zone, about 20km from the Saudi border. The 388 sq km development is intended to attract investment in logistics, industry and trade.
Bilateral commerce has already been expanding. Official Omani figures showed Saudi-Omani trade reaching OMR1.76bn ($4.6bn) during the first seven months of 2025, up 20 per cent from the same period a year earlier.
Saudi exports to Oman increased 10 per cent to OMR762mn, while Omani industrial exports to Saudi Arabia rose 39 per cent to OMR733mn over the period.
The two governments have also moved to reduce trade barriers. In October 2025, they agreed to mutually recognise certificates of origin and pursue measures to simplify procedures for industrial goods and strengthen integration between their supply chains.
For Oman, stronger overland connectivity provides more direct access to the Gulf’s largest economy, while Saudi businesses could benefit from improved links to Omani logistics hubs and ports on the Arabian Sea.
The commercial test will be whether the agreement can translate the existing road connection into regular freight volumes, more efficient border processing and shorter delivery times between the two markets.
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