Aqaba, Oct. 6 (Petra) -- The Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma'an railway project marks a strategic milestone in the Jordanian-Emirati partnership and a major step toward an integrated transport system that could strengthen Jordan’s position as a regional logistics hub, the Jordan Maritime Commission (JMC) said Tuesday.
Director General of the JMC Ahmad Asasleh said the project is expected to improve the efficiency of Jordanian ports by reducing vessel waiting times, improving sailing schedule reliability and berth turnover, and increasing cargo-handling efficiency. It would also enhance the competitiveness of Jordan’s ports and its phosphate and potash exports while easing pressure on roads and truck transport, Asasleh said in a statement.
He noted that Aqaba is moving toward an integrated logistics model in which ports serve as key links in interconnected maritime, road and rail networks, supported by logistics centers and dry ports, including the Ma'an Dry Port. Under this model, goods could move through an integrated supply chain from production sites to ports and markets, supporting the development of door-to-door transport services.
Asasleh stressed that rail transport is not intended to replace or marginalize trucking but rather to add a more efficient component to the transport system, with each mode serving the functions for which it is most economically and operationally suited. The approach, he added, would help reduce pressure on roads and ports while increasing Aqaba’s capacity to receive, handle and distribute cargo to domestic and regional markets.
Asasleh said the shift requires moving from separate modes of transport toward a multimodal system in which a single journey could combine maritime, rail and road transport with cargo handling, storage and related logistics services. Such operations would require clear contractual arrangements defining the responsibilities of the parties at each stage and supporting the use of electronic transport documents when legal and technical requirements are met, he added.
He described the project as a first step toward an integrated national railway network linking Aqaba with other parts of the Kingdom and potentially with neighboring Arab countries, opening prospects for connecting Aqaba Port with Mediterranean ports through regional corridors.
The project is particularly important for linking production and mining areas, especially phosphate and potash mines, with Jordanian ports, improving export supply chains and Aqaba’s ability to handle large volumes of mineral products.
The new transport system is targeted to carry about 13 million metric tons of phosphate and 2.6 million metric tons of potash, according to Asasleh. He also stressed the need to develop a legislative and regulatory framework capable of accommodating the shift in transport patterns.
Asasleh cited the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules, as an important international reference in this area.
He noted that the convention addresses developments in international transport, including the expansion of container shipping, growing demand for door-to-door services under a single contract, the use of electronic transport documents and maritime contracts that may incorporate other modes of transport.
Asasleh said integrating ports with railways, road networks and logistics centers would reshape Jordan’s supply chain on more efficient, resilient and competitive foundations, supporting the Economic Modernization Vision and strengthening Aqaba’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub.
//Petra// AJ
