Jordan–UAE Pact unveils $2.3B rail network to turn Aqaba into a regional trade gateway

Logo
Sites
GCC 15-04-2026 | 16:38

Jordan–UAE Pact unveils $2.3B rail network to turn Aqaba into a regional trade gateway

The agreement establishes a jointly owned company to build and operate the largest railway project in Jordan, boosting freight connectivity and investment flows.
Annahar
Save Icon
Jordan–UAE Pact unveils $2.3B rail network to turn Aqaba into a regional trade gateway
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates sign agreements to launch the Aqaba Railway Project (X).
Smaller Bigger

 

The official Jordanian news agency reported on Wednesday that Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed agreements to begin the formal procedures for implementing the $2.3 billion Aqaba Port Railway Project, as well as to establish a joint Jordanian-Emirati company to build and operate it.

 

UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed said: “We continue to strengthen our strategic partnership with our brothers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan through high-quality projects that support development and drive economic growth, benefiting both our countries.”

 

He added: “The railway project reaffirms our belief that investing in infrastructure is an investment in a more stable and prosperous future for the region.”

 

 

Strategic partnership to implement Aqaba Port Railway project

 

The Jordanian government and the UAE signed agreements to establish a joint company, equally owned by both parties, to implement the Aqaba Port Railway Project, with participation from: 

 
  •  Phosphate and Potash Company

 

  • Government Contributions Company

 

  • Social Security Investment Fund (Jordanian side)

 

  • “L'IMAD Holding,” affiliated with the Government of Abu Dhabi

 

 

The largest railway transport project in Jordan

 

The project is considered the largest in the railway transport sector in the Kingdom, with a joint investment estimated at $2.3 billion. It includes the development of integrated infrastructure, including railway lines, bridges, and tunnels, in accordance with the highest global standards in the transport sector.

 

 

Enhancing Aqaba Port's economic position

 

The project is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Aqaba Port and transform it into a regional logistics hub. It also opens up significant development prospects in southern Jordan and the Jordan Valley regions by improving the transport and shipping system and linking it to regional markets.

 

 

A foundation for a national and regional railway network

 

The project serves as a cornerstone for establishing Jordan’s national railway network, linking Aqaba Port with neighboring Arab countries and later extending toward Syria and Mediterranean countries, in addition to strengthening connections with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Tags
Jordan ، UAE ، railway ، Aqaba