Amman, July 20 (Petra) – Minister of Transport and Labor Minister
Nidal Qatamin said on Monday the Aqaba Port Railway Project is a mega
strategic project that enhances Jordan’s economic security and its
standing as a regional transport and logistics hub.

The project is a key pillar within the economic modernization vision,
and is in response to the rapid transformations in global trade
routes and supply chains, the ministry said in a press release.

Qatamin spoke at a dialogue seminar held by the Center for Strategic
Studies at the University of Jordan, titled: “The Aqaba Port Railway:
Regional Connectivity, Security, and Economic Development in Jordan,”
in which a select group of academics, economic experts, and transport
and logistics sector stakeholders took part.

He said Jordan has the potential to become a major logistics corridor
linking the Arabian Gulf with the Levant and global markets.

The Kingdom’s geographical location is attracting growing attention
from its Gulf neighbors, which requires a modern infrastructure,
particularly railway projects, to bolster Jordan as a regional hub
and a link between production and consumption markets in the region,
he said.

The minister said the railway project’s impact extends beyond
developing the transportation system as it constitutes a
comprehensive economic and developmental project to reduce logistics
costs, enhance the competitiveness of national exports, stimulate
investment, create direct and indirect job opportunities, and support
the industrial, mining, and agricultural sectors.

Furthermore, it will boost economic development in the governorates
through which the project passes, he added.

Qatamin said the project is the nucleus of the national railway
network, which will eventually connect various regions of the Kingdom
and extend to neighboring countries, thus strengthening regional
economic integration and boosting Jordan’s status as a regional
logistics hub.

Jordan, with a modern railway network linking the Port of Aqaba to
production centers and local and regional markets, will give it a
strategic edge and provide a more efficient and sustainable
transportation system supporting long-term development, he pointed
out.

The railway project, estimated to cost about $2.3 billion, is one of
the pivotal ventures within the economic modernization vision. It
runs for nearly 360 kilometers, connecting the Port of Aqaba to
phosphate and potash production areas, with a capacity of up to 16
million tons annually, said the minister.

It is implemented through an equal Jordanian-Emirati partnership,
with each party holding a 50% stake, he said, adding that Jordan’s
share is distributed among the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the
Arab Potash Company, the Social Security Investment Fund, and the
Government Investments Management Company.

//Petra//SS