Amman, October 22 (Petra) – Minister of Transport and Minister of Labor, Dr. Nidal Qatamin, on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Higher Government Committee for the Aqaba-Shidiya-Maan railway project.

In presence were secretaries-general and representatives from relevant ministries and government entities, as well as a representative from the Jordanian-Emirati Railway Company, stakeholders and representatives from the relevant security agencies.

During the meeting, the discussions focused on ways to streamline and accelerate the project’s implementation and remove any potential obstacles.

Qatamin highlighted the project's significance as a "key gateway for Jordan to regional and global markets." On its feasibility, he described the enterprise as a "strategic" step to establish a national railway network, which would strengthen the Kingdom’s position in the transport and logistics sector, support the freight movement and enhance efficiency of connectivity between ports and production and export hubs.

He called for orchestrating government efforts and ensuring stakeholders' complementary roles.

He proposed working through a "single, integrated" government interface, encompassing all relevant stakeholders, to expedite approvals and procedures, streamline implementation requirements, and resolve any obstacles.

He noted that this approach aims to pave the way for commencing field operations and carrying out the project without delay.

Participants called for maintaining direct coordination between government entities and the implementing company.

As a future follow-up procedure, the attendees agreed to hold regular meetings to address project requirements and facilitate necessary procedures, aimed to ensure that government efforts are "well-coordinated" and accelerate pace of work, in accordance with established technical and procedural standards.

//Petra// AG