Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, is set to extend its footprint far beyond the Emirates with a landmark agreement to build, operate, and maintain a 360-kilometre railway network in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan — one of the most strategically significant infrastructure projects in the Arab world.
The Details of the Agreement
The agreement covers the construction and operation of a 360-kilometre railway linking the main mining areas of Al-Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to the Port of Aqaba, with a total investment value of US$2.3 billion. The project is designed to transport 16 million tonnes annually of phosphate and potash, directly linking production sites to the port and significantly reducing transport time and costs.
The agreement represents a natural extension of the US$5.5 billion investment package signed at the end of 2023 in the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan.
A UAE-Jordan Joint Venture
Under the structure of the deal, a UAE–Jordan Railway Company has been established, with Etihad Rail serving as the executing arm. Etihad Rail also signed MoUs with Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and Arab Potash Company to transport 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually from mining sites to the Port of Aqaba.
Construction tenders were anticipated to be issued in early 2026, with operations targeted to commence by 2030.
Regional Ambitions on Track
The Jordan project marks one of Etihad Rail’s most significant international expansions since completing its 900-kilometre UAE national network. In 2026, Paraguay also signed an MoU with Etihad Rail to build a 44-kilometre train line, signalling the company’s growing global ambitions.
For Jordan, the railway is transformative — enhancing export capacity, generating employment across the logistics, mining, and transport sectors, and cementing the Kingdom’s role as a regional trade corridor connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa through the Port of Aqaba.
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