Jordan and UAE launch $2.5 billion Aqaba–Maan railway project

King Abdullah II of Jordan and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, have officially broken ground on the $2.5 billion Aqaba–Al-Shidiyeh–Maan Railway Project in Aqaba.

Developed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, the project involves constructing a 403-kilometer rail network designed to connect the port of Aqaba with major mining sites and the Maan Logistics Zone. The infrastructure will include approximately 55 bridges and six tunnels. The network aims to facilitate the efficient transport of bulk cargo, including containers and mineral products like phosphate and potash.

In its first phase, the railway is expected to transport roughly 13 million tons of phosphate annually from Al-Shidiyeh to Aqaba, contributing to an overall initial capacity of 16 million tons of mineral exports per year. The project is projected to reduce annual phosphate and potash transport costs by approximately $40 million and is expected to create around 5,000 jobs in southern Jordan. The construction is anticipated to take approximately five years.