Aqaba, Oct. 6 (Petra) — The Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma’an railway project
marks a strategic milestone in the Jordanian-Emirati partnership and
a major step toward an integrated transport system that could
strengthen Jordan’s position as a regional logistics hub, the Jordan
Maritime Commission (JMC) said Tuesday.

Director General of the JMC Ahmad Asasleh said the project is
expected to improve the efficiency of Jordanian ports by reducing
vessel waiting times, improving sailing schedule reliability and
berth turnover, and increasing cargo-handling efficiency. It would
also enhance the competitiveness of Jordan’s ports and its phosphate
and potash exports while easing pressure on roads and truck
transport, Asasleh said in a statement.

He noted that Aqaba is moving toward an integrated logistics model in
which ports serve as key links in interconnected maritime, road and
rail networks, supported by logistics centers and dry ports,
including the Ma’an Dry Port. Under this model, goods could move
through an integrated supply chain from production sites to ports and
markets, supporting the development of door-to-door transport
services.

Asasleh stressed that rail transport is not intended to replace or
marginalize trucking but rather to add a more efficient component to
the transport system, with each mode serving the functions for which
it is most economically and operationally suited. The approach, he
added, would help reduce pressure on roads and ports while increasing
Aqaba’s capacity to receive, handle and distribute cargo to domestic
and regional markets.

Asasleh said the shift requires moving from separate modes of
transport toward a multimodal system in which a single journey could
combine maritime, rail and road transport with cargo handling,
storage and related logistics services. Such operations would require
clear contractual arrangements defining the responsibilities of the
parties at each stage and supporting the use of electronic transport
documents when legal and technical requirements are met, he added.

He described the project as a first step toward an integrated
national railway network linking Aqaba with other parts of the
Kingdom and potentially with neighboring Arab countries, opening
prospects for connecting Aqaba Port with Mediterranean ports through
regional corridors.

The project is particularly important for linking production and
mining areas, especially phosphate and potash mines, with Jordanian
ports, improving export supply chains and Aqaba’s ability to handle
large volumes of mineral products.

The new transport system is targeted to carry about 13 million metric
tons of phosphate and 2.6 million metric tons of potash, according to
Asasleh. He also stressed the need to develop a legislative and
regulatory framework capable of accommodating the shift in transport
patterns.

Asasleh cited the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the
International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the
Rotterdam Rules, as an important international reference in this
area.

He noted that the convention addresses developments in international
transport, including the expansion of container shipping, growing
demand for door-to-door services under a single contract, the use of
electronic transport documents and maritime contracts that may
incorporate other modes of transport.

Asasleh said integrating ports with railways, road networks and
logistics centers would reshape Jordan’s supply chain on more
efficient, resilient and competitive foundations, supporting the
Economic Modernization Vision and strengthening Aqaba’s role as a
regional trade and logistics hub.

//Petra// AJ