The UAE has signed a $2.3 billion deal to develop a 360km rail network linking Jordan's port of Aqaba to the country's mining centers of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi. The project, which will be the development and operation arm of the UAE's Etihad Rail, is part of a $5.5bn investment package between the two countries.
The agreement will modernize the railway infrastructure in Jordan, including the manufacture and delivery of new trains built to international standards. The project will also include building terminals for loading and unloading minerals in Aqaba, Ghor Al-Safi and Shidiya. The railway will take five years to become operational. It is scheduled to be completed in 2030.
“The Investment Memorandum with Jordan showcases our commitment to leveraging our collective and bilateral efforts to drive economic growth, while enhancing resilience and promoting economic diversification in both of our brotherly nations,” said Mohamed Hassan Al-Suwaidi, UAE’s minister of investment.
Etihad Rail has also signed separate agreements with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. and the Arab Potash Co. to transport 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash per year from the mining sites to Aqaba via Jordan's rail network.
