en.Wedoany.com Reported - Arab Potash Company (APC), established in 1956, claims to be the only potash producer in the Arab world and ranks eighth globally by output. Under a concession granted by the Jordanian government, it holds exclusive rights to mine, produce, and sell Dead Sea minerals until 2058. The company is advancing an expansion project at its Ghor Al-Safi mine in Jordan, aiming to increase annual potash production capacity by 3.7 million tons. King Abdullah II of Jordan has launched two strategic projects—the expansion of solar evaporation ponds and a power and steam plant—to support this capacity expansion.
In addition to potash production, APC is investing in downstream and ancillary industries at the Ghor Al-Safi mine, including potassium nitrate, bromine, and other mineral by-products. The company plans to build a new granular potash plant and develop processing industries to enhance its position in the downstream fertilizer product value chain. Furthermore, APC is collaborating with Germany's CAC Engineering to construct a new crystallization plant, which will increase annual potassium chloride production in the region by 1 million tons.
On the logistics front, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have announced plans to develop a railway network called the "UAE-Jordan Railway Company." This new railway will connect the Ghor Al-Safi mine to Jordan's Aqaba port on the Red Sea, capable of transporting 16 million tons of phosphate and potash annually, with a total project investment of $2.3 billion. The agreement is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2024, adopting an equal partnership model with a consortium of Jordanian entities, including APC, Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), the government investment management company, and the Social Security Investment Fund. Financing is expected to be completed by 2027.
In terms of market expansion, the Jordanian government is collaborating with major potash importing countries such as Brazil and Indonesia to secure market access for APC's potash. In the first quarter of 2026, APC's potash exports to Brazil increased year-on-year. Jordan and the Indonesian government are negotiating the establishment of a joint venture fertilizer company to expand potash exports to Southeast Asia. Previously, Jordan successfully replicated this cooperation model in the Asia-Pacific region by forming the Japan Jordan Fertilizer Company (NJFC), a joint venture that began production in 1997 and is responsible for exporting fertilizers to Japan. In 2025, APC exported approximately 2.6 million tons of potash to global markets.
Delegations from the Australian and Canadian ambassadors have visited the Ghor Al-Safi mine to learn about APC's operations and its role in the global fertilizer market. Located near the Dead Sea at the lowest point on Earth, Ghor Al-Safi was historically known as "Zoara" during the Roman-Byzantine period and was an important agricultural and trade center.
