Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have broken ground on the Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway Project, a US$2.5 billion initiative to connect the Red Sea port city of Aqaba with key mining and logistics hubs in southern Jordan.
The project centres on a 403-kilometre rail line designed to link Aqaba port with phosphate and potash production sites and the Maan Logistics Zone.
By creating a dedicated freight corridor between inland production centres and the coast, the railway is intended to streamline the movement of minerals to Aqaba’s export terminals.
Initial works will see the installation of railway tracks, approximately 55 bridges, six tunnels and related structures, according to the project partners.
Once operational, the railway is expected to carry up to 16 million tonnes of mineral products annually.
According to a statement from the Abu Dhabi government, the new line will reduce transportation costs for phosphate and potash by an estimated US$40 million a year and enable Jordanian exports to reach regional and global markets more efficiently.
Beyond freight savings, the project is expected to support about 5,000 jobs in southern Jordan.
It will also generate additional opportunities for local businesses and private-sector firms in engineering, construction, maintenance, logistics, technology and related industries, extending its economic impact well beyond the rail corridor itself.
A US$2.5 billion investment, 403 kilometres of track, 55 bridges and six tunnels combine to make a major infrastructure undertaking focused squarely on mineral logistics.
Dr Mohammad Thneibat, chairman of the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, outlined the project’s purpose at the ceremony: “The significance of this project lies in its ability to connect production centres with the ports of Aqaba and regional and global markets, enhance the efficiency of the transport and logistics ecosystem, strengthen the competitiveness of national exports and create long-term value for the economy and society, thereby reinforcing Jordan’s position in regional and international trade.”
The railway is managed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, which is jointly owned by UAE-based L’IMAD Holding Company and Jordanian entities including the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund and the Arab Potash Company.
Two of those Jordanian shareholders are mineral producers, a link that ties the line directly to the cargo it will carry.
With construction now under way, attention turns to the initial works on track, bridges and tunnels, which will set the pace for the line’s delivery.
If the project meets its targets, the corridor will give Jordan’s exporters a more efficient route to market and give southern Jordan a significant boost in employment and business activity.