Amman, May 19 (Petra) — Accelerating geopolitical disruptions across
key maritime corridors are creating a strategic opening for Jordan to
strengthen its role as a regional trade and logistics hub, according
to a new policy paper issued by the Jordan Economic Forum.

The paper said global trade patterns have undergone major shifts
since 2023 amid rising risks in vital shipping routes, including the
Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, prompting international companies
and governments to search for safer and more flexible logistics
alternatives.

Published under the title “Positioning Jordan as a Supporting Hub for
Trade and Services: Opportunities and Challenges Amid Geopolitical
Shifts,” the study argued that Jordan is well positioned to benefit
from the restructuring of global supply chains due to its geographic
location, political stability, and access to regional markets through
Aqaba Port and land transport networks.

According to the paper, disruptions in the Red Sea since late 2023
have directly affected shipping through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait,
which carries between 10 and 12 percent of global maritime trade,
forcing many shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of
Good Hope.

The report added that geopolitical tensions surrounding the Strait of
Hormuz intensified during early 2026, heightening concerns over the
vulnerability of global trade flows as nearly one-quarter of global
seaborne oil trade passes through the strategic waterway.

The paper estimated total global trade in goods and services at
around $35 trillion in 2025, up from $32.5 trillion in 2024, while
maritime transport continued to account for more than 80 percent of
international trade volumes annually.

It also highlighted the growing adoption of “friendshoring” and
“nearshoring” strategies, under which companies increasingly relocate
supply chains toward politically stable or geographically closer
markets to reduce exposure to geopolitical risks.

The study said Jordan possesses several advantages supporting its
transformation into a regional logistics and trade support center,
including its strategic location linking Gulf markets with the Levant
and its relatively stable political and security environment.

Jordan’s total trade exchange rose by around 20 percent between 2023
and 2025 to reach approximately JD32.5 billion in 2025, compared with
JD27.2 billion in 2023, while trade volume during the first quarter
of 2026 reached JD4.7 billion, according to the paper.

The report also highlighted growing activity at Port of Aqaba, where
transit container traffic increased by 137 percent during the first
quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier,
reflecting Aqaba’s expanding role in regional redistribution and
logistics operations.

The paper identified railway infrastructure projects as a key
component of Jordan’s future logistics strategy, particularly the
Aqaba-mining railway project linking phosphate and potash production
centers with Aqaba’s industrial port through a 360-kilometer rail
line expected to handle up to 16 million tons annually by 2030.

It also pointed to proposed regional railway connections linking
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Türkiye as potential alternative
trade corridors connecting Gulf markets with Europe through Jordan.

The forum concluded that turning these geopolitical shifts into
sustainable economic gains will require accelerating logistics and
transport projects, improving investment readiness, and strengthening
integration between maritime, land, and railway transport systems.

//Petra// RZ