The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan have launched the Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway Project.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place in Aqaba, Jordan, with King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in attendance.
The project is being developed through a joint UAE-Jordanian investment of around US$2.5 billion ($3.59 billion), which will see the development of a 403km-long rail network, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.
The purpose of the rail is to connect Aqaba with key mining and production sites as well as the Maan Logistics Zone, enabling the transport of bulk cargo and containers between ports, production centres, and logistics facilities.
The project includes the construction of railway tracks, bridges, tunnels, and related engineering structures. The network will transport approximately 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually from the Port of Aqaba to the global markets.
The railway is expected to create around 5,000 new jobs in southern Jordan, while also reducing the transportation cost of phosphate and potash by US$40 million annually. It will also create additional opportunities across other related sectors.
The project is being led by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, jointly owned by L’IMAD, Jordan Phosphate Mines, Jordan’s Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund, and Arab Potash.
The Middle East is the world’s leading supplier of potash, with extensive deposits especially around the Dead Sea area.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: Abu Dhabi Media Office
