Abu Dhabi is backing a rail link to enhance the logistics behind Jordan’s main exports. The 403-kilometer network will carry 16 million tons a year of phosphate and potash, used in fertilizers, from mines to the Port of Aqaba. The line, which will replace truck convoys and an aging freight track, is expected to cut transport costs by $40 million annually.
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Jordan’s King Abdullah II broke ground on a $2.3 billion project, part of a $5.5 billion investment framework the two countries agreed to in 2023. The UAE is investing in rail infrastructure across the region, including Etihad Rail at home, Hafeet Rail to Oman, and other links that are part of a planned India-Middle East-Europe corridor, which would run through Jordan.