Amman, April 15 (Petra) -- Chairman of Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), Mohammad Thneibat, said the Aqaba port railway project is among the largest infrastructure developments undertaken in Jordan in recent years and is expected to reduce annual transport costs for potash and phosphate by around $40 million.

He said the savings would enhance the global competitiveness of the companies involved and create about 5,000 jobs in the south of the kingdom, adding that the project will be integrated with the Ma’an dry port.

Thneibat said a Jordanian-Emirati partnership agreement aims to establish a railway company to operate between the Hasa mines, Aqaba, and the Arab Potash Company.

He added that the company’s capital will amount to $2.3 billion and will be registered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The railway is expected to transport 16 million tonnes of phosphate from Shidiya to Aqaba, as well as raw materials from Aqaba to Shidiya, and 3 million tonnes from the Arab Potash Company to Aqaba port.

He said the project would not affect trucking operations in southern Jordan, noting that other transport activities, including routes between Aqaba and Amman, will remain in place, while trucks operating from Shidiya and Ghor Al-Safi to Aqaba will continue to have sufficient work.

Jordan and the United Arab Emirates signed agreements on Wednesday to begin implementation of the Aqaba port railway project, one of the largest transport projects in the kingdom in 25 years, under a joint investment reflecting the strength of economic ties between the two countries.

The project aims to strengthen Jordan’s position as a regional transport and logistics hub by linking phosphate and potash production sites with the industrial port in Aqaba, facilitating cargo movement, reducing transport costs and improving supply chain efficiency.

//Petra// AF