UAE and Jordan partner for key rail project
The project aims at building, developing, and operating a Jordanian railway network linking phosphate and potash mines to the Port of Aqaba
Jordan and the UAE have signed agreements to initiate a US $2.3bn railway project, the project is set to connect Jordan’s Port of Aqaba to the key mining sites of Shidiyah and Ghor Al Safi.
The project – signed between Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE National Railway Network, and the Ministry of Transport – is part of a broader investment package totalling around $5.5bn, which was signed in late 2023 in the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The agreement covers building, developing, and operating a Jordanian railway network spanning 360km, linking phosphate and potash mines to the Port of Aqaba. In addition, the company signed two additional MoUs with Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and Arab Potash Company to transport 16m tonnes of phosphate and potash annually from mining sites to the Port of Aqaba via the new railway network.
This strategic connection aims to create a ‘transformative’ shift in the transportation of essential materials, enhance export capabilities, and improve logistical efficiency. It will be a major factor in creating job opportunities in the transport and mining sectors and contribute to the kingdom’s wider economic development, said a statement.
During the signing ceremony, which was attended by UAE Minister of Investment, Mohamed Suwaidi, Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh highlighted the strategic significance of the railway project, underscoring the ‘solid’ relationship between Jordan and the UAE.
The prime minister said railway work is expected to be completed within five years, with operations beginning in 2030, adding that detailed studies on the railway routes and the handling of potash and phosphate will be finalised by the end of 2025. Construction tenders are expected to be issued in early 2026.
