The UAE and Jordan have signed four agreements to build a USD 2.3 bn railway, connecting Jordan’s port of Aqaba with Al-Shidiya and Ghor es-Safi mining regions, according to a statement picked up by Jordan News Agency. The project is part of a broader USD 5.5 bn investment package inked in late 2023 by President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

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What’s next? Studies for construction, railway routes, and handling requirements for potash and phosphate are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, with construction tenders for the railway to be issued by early 2026.

A boon for transport: The railway is set to be operational by 2030, featuring two main routes: one extending to Al-Shidiya and another to Ghor es-Safi, passing through Wadi Araba. The new railway is set to facilitate the transport of a total of 16 mn tons of phosphate and potash products, connecting the mining areas with the port.

There’s been some movement at Aqaba port lately: Jordan’s central development arm Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) signed a USD 125 mn agreement with a consortium of international firms to develop Aqaba’s Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad LNG terminal in August. The upgrade comes under a plan to ensure the country’s energy supply in case of supply disruptions.

The story also got ink in Reuters.

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