Prime Minister: Aqaba-Shidiya-Maan Railway Strategic Project For Jordan, Region

AMMAN - Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Tuesday described the Aqaba-Shidiya-Maan railway project as a strategic undertaking for Jordan and the region, saying it will have significant economic and development implications for the Kingdom's southern governorates.

In a social media post, Hassan said that the project's implementation phase was launched on Monday with the support and guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

His Majesty and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, on Monday witnessed the laying of the foundation stone for the Aqaba–Shidiya–Maan railway project, which is one of Jordan's key transport mega projects.

In a post on social media, Hassan said that the project would have a major economic and development impact on the south, strengthen Aqaba's role as a gateway for trade and logistics, and position Maan as a key centre for storage and distribution.

“The project will enable Aqaba to connect in the future with Syria, Turkey and the Mediterranean,” Hassan said.

With the post, the prime minister shared a video on the project, while the foundation stone laying, saying the event marked a major step towards implementing Jordan's national railway network in line with the Economic Modernisation Vision.

Estimated at $2.5 billion, the Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma'an railway is the first phase of the national railway network, an integrated system designed to connect railways with ports, handling facilities and logistics hubs.

The project includes two main routes linking Aqaba's Industrial Port with phosphate production facilities in Shidiya and potash production facilities in Ghor Al Safi, as well as a link between Shidiya and Maan.

The planned network will span 403 kilometres, including 360km for the phosphate and potash routes and 43km for the Shidiya-Ma'an link.

The railway is expected to transport around 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually.

Maan will serve as a logistics hub for receiving, consolidating, storing, handling and redistributing goods, particularly following the completion of the Maan-Aqaba dry port.

Under the integrated transport system, the railway will be used to transport bulk freight, while trucks will carry goods to local and international markets. Maan is also expected to play a key role in distributing goods to eight regional markets.

The project is expected to reduce phosphate and potash transportation costs by around $40 million annually and create approximately 5,000 jobs in the Kingdom's southern region.

In its first phase, the project is expected to transport approximately 13 million tonnes of phosphate annually from Shidiya to Aqaba, and will be linked to the Maan Land Port project, enabling more efficient transport of goods between Aqaba and Maan.

The initiative is a key part of a wider strategic plan to build the Jordan National Railway Network, one of the Economic Modernisation Vision's flagship projects.

The United Arab Emirates–Jordan Railway Company, established by a consortium of Jordanian and Emirati companies and institutions, is responsible for the construction and implementation of the project.

In April, Jordan and the UAE signed strategic agreements that included the construction of the 360km railway network, which will connect phosphate and potash mines through two main tracks serving production sites in Shidiya and Ghor Al Safi to Aqaba Industrial Port.

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