Jordan and UAE Sign $2.3 Billion Aqaba Rail Project, Eyeing Links to Syrian Ports

Jordan and the United Arab Emirates signed agreements on Wednesday to proceed with the Aqaba Port Railway project, described as the largest transport undertaking in Jordan in over 25 years, with a combined investment estimated at approximately $2.3 billion.

The project is conceived as the foundation of a national rail network for Jordan, with a long-term vision of connecting the kingdom to neighboring Arab countries, including a direct link between Aqaba Port and Syrian ports on the Mediterranean, as part of a wider strategy to advance regional economic integration.

Project Objectives

The railway aims to position Jordan as a regional hub for transport and logistics by connecting phosphate and potash production zones to the industrial port of Aqaba, thereby facilitating freight movement, reducing transportation costs, and improving supply chain efficiency. The project is also expected to enhance Aqaba's competitiveness as a strategic regional gateway for shipping, while opening broad development opportunities in the southern governorates and the Jordan Valley.

An Equal Partnership

The project is structured as an equal partnership between the two sides. Jordan is represented by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, Arab Potash Company, the Government Investments Management Company, and the Social Security Investment Fund. The UAE is represented by Liemad Holding, the investment platform of the Abu Dhabi government. The project scope includes the construction of modern rail lines, tunnels, and bridges built to the highest international standards.

Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding

In a parallel regional development, the transport ministers of Syria, Jordan, and Turkey signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding during a joint ministerial committee meeting held in Amman. The agreement aims to build an integrated regional transport system that facilitates the movement of people and goods, strengthens supply chains, and establishes the region as a logistics corridor connecting regional and international markets.

The memorandum provides for the creation of a joint institutional and technical framework, including specialized committees and working groups, as well as unified sectoral plans and smart digital solutions to streamline procedures, monitor performance, and build institutional capacity.

Reviving the Hasakah Rail Corridor

Complementing these regional efforts, the Syrian General Establishment of Railways announced active steps to restore rail service on the line connecting the Turkish and Iraqi borders through Hasakah Governorate, a move aimed at revitalizing transit traffic, strengthening regional connectivity, and supporting economic activity across the corridor.