$2.5 Billion! Foundation Stone Laid for 403-Kilometer Jordan-UAE Railway Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 5 local time, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed jointly attended the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma'an railway project. The project is developed and constructed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, with a total investment of approximately $2.5 billion, planning to build about 403 kilometers of railway, connecting Aqaba Port, the Shidiya mining area, the Ma'an logistics zone, and related mineral production bases.

The project scope includes approximately 403 kilometers of railway lines, about 55 bridges, 6 tunnels, and related supporting facilities. Upon completion, the railway will handle the transportation of mineral products, bulk cargo, and containers, with phosphate and potash to be transported by rail from production bases to Aqaba Port.
According to the project plan, the railway system will have an annual mineral transport capacity of approximately 16 million tons. In Phase One, it is planned to transport approximately 13 million tons of phosphate annually from the Shidiya area to Aqaba, and to connect with the Ma'an logistics facilities to handle cargo transport between Aqaba Port and Ma'an. The project also includes railway transport facilities related to Jordan's potash production areas.
The Jordan-UAE Railway Company is jointly held by investors from both the UAE and Jordan. The UAE side includes L'IMAD Holding, while the Jordanian side includes the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Arab Potash Company, the Government Investment Management Company, and the Social Security Investment Fund. The project will draw on the technical and operational experience of Etihad Rail of the UAE in railway network construction and operation.
In September 2024, the UAE and Jordan signed a railway sector investment cooperation document, and the project entered the preliminary preparation stage. In April 2026, the two sides signed agreements on railway network development and the project company, with the investment scale announced at that time being approximately $2.3 billion and the line length approximately 360 kilometers. At the current foundation stone laying stage, the announced project investment scale has increased to approximately $2.5 billion, and the line length has been adjusted to approximately 403 kilometers.
The project construction period is expected to be approximately 5 years. According to published operational estimates, after the project is put into operation, it can reduce phosphate and potash transport costs by approximately $40 million per year, and construction and operation-related activities are expected to create approximately 5,000 jobs.