Amman, August 9 (Petra) – Jordan ranked third among Arab countries on
the 2024 Logistics Performance Index (LPI), marking its strategic
importance in regional transport and reinforcing national efforts to
establish the Kingdom as a major logistics hub.

Port operational efficiency serves as the backbone of the country’s
logistical advantage, according to a policy paper by the Jordan
Strategy Forum (JSF). Vessel turnaround time at ports averaged just
0.6 days, ranking Jordan 21st globally and 3rd regionally. While
export container dwell time stood at 4.7 days, outperforming the
global median.

Amid ongoing regional instability, Jordan is positioned as a “safe
logistics corridor” for transit trade and cargo transport, offering a
reliable path around supply chain disruptions. The JSF said that
modern economic corridors extend beyond roads and railways to
integrate maritime transport, energy grids, digital infrastructure,
logistics, and cross-border industrial cooperation.

The forum added that these developments have prompted countries to
diversify transportation routes and reduce dependence on a limited
number of maritime corridors and strategic chokepoints.

Local experts point to the Port of Aqaba as the anchor of this
strategy. Nabil Khatib, First Vice Chairman of Amman Chamber of
Commerce and President of the Logistics Sector Skills Council, noted
that Aqaba’s fast handling speeds lower shipping costs and increase
the port’s attractiveness to shipping lines.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Khatib stated that
capitalizing on this strength will support the Kingdom’s ambitions to
become a regional logistics hub. He stressed, however, that realizing
this potential requires improving the efficiency of the
interconnected supply chains that extend beyond port operations to
ensure seamless logistics at all stages.

Economic expert Muneer Deyah stated that despite geopolitical
headwinds, the Port of Aqaba achieved “record-breaking operational
metrics.”

He said the port has accelerated loading, unloading and transshipment
operations, handling 101,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in
July. This brought the total number of TEUs handled since the
beginning of the year to nearly 560,000, representing a record level
for the port.

Deyah attributed the port’s performance to efficient logistics
management, noting that its 0.6-day vessel turnaround time ranks
Jordan 21st globally and third in the Arab world.

He said the figure demonstrates the port’s ability to adapt to
disruptions in global maritime shipping and compete with major
regional and international ports in terms of operational speed.

Deyah also noted that the average dwell time for export containers
stands at 4.7 days, below the global average.

He said the Port of Aqaba has become an important regional gateway
and a strategic alternative for countries relying on it for imports
and exports, strengthening its role as a regional logistics hub.

In July alone, the Aqaba Container Terminal handled 101,900
twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up from 88,781 TEUs in July of
the previous year, bringing the year-to-date total through July to
roughly 560,000 TEUs.

While neighboring ports faced severe congestion and shipping delays
due to regional turmoil, Aqaba maintained high operational
productivity to absorb increased cargo and truck volumes.

//Petra// HA