The United Arab Emirates and Jordan are advancing a major railway project designed to strengthen transport and logistics links between the two countries. The Aqaba–Shidiya–Maan Railway Project, valued at approximately $2.5 billion, represents a major infrastructure initiative and a new stage in the growing economic partnership between the UAE and Jordan.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and King Abdullah II of Jordan witnessed the laying of the project’s foundation stone in Aqaba. The railway is being developed by the Jordanian-Emirati Railway Company and forms part of Jordan’s broader national railway ambitions.

The project is primarily designed to improve freight transportation, particularly the movement of mining products, while reducing transportation costs. Its development is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of Jordanian exports and further enhance the role of Aqaba Industrial Port as a regional transport and logistics hub.

During its first phase, the railway is expected to transport approximately 13 million tonnes of phosphate annually from Shidiya to Aqaba. The project will also be connected to the Maan Land Port initiative, creating a more efficient route for moving goods between Aqaba and Maan and supporting greater integration between Jordan’s transport infrastructure.

The project was also discussed during a phone call between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and King Abdullah II on Tuesday. The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation in economic and development fields, while highlighting the importance of the railway as part of a shared vision for a sustainable and long-term development partnership.

The railway represents a significant investment in Jordan’s logistics infrastructure and is expected to support trade and industrial activity by improving the movement of goods. It also forms part of a wider plan to develop Jordan’s national railway network, one of the flagship projects under the country’s Economic Modernisation Vision. For the UAE and Jordan, the project adds another major element to their expanding economic and infrastructure cooperation.