Jordan and the UAE have broken ground on the $2.5 billion Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway in Aqaba, Jordan. The 403 kilometer network will link Aqaba with phosphate and potash production sites and the Maan Logistics Zone, and it is expected to carry about 16 million metric tons of minerals a year to the port.
The project is being developed by the Jordan-UAE Railway Company, which is owned by Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD Holding Company and four Jordanian shareholders. Shadi Malak, the company’s vice chairman, said the railway will draw on the development and operating experience of Etihad Rail. Announced at a groundbreaking on October 5 attended by King Abdullah II and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the scheme is described as the largest of its kind in Jordan’s railway sector. Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reports that the line is expected to create about 5,000 jobs in southern Jordan.
Meanwhile, contractor selection is the open question that connects this scheme to the Dubai Metro Blue Line, where a consortium reshuffle was still being reported in mid 2024. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority settled that question in December 2024 by awarding the AED20.5 billion (about $5.6 billion) contract to MAPA, LIMAK and CRRC. The 30 kilometer line was reported at 12 percent complete in December 2025, with an opening targeted for September 9, 2029. The Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway has not yet named its builders.
Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway Scope Includes 55 Bridges and Six Tunnels
The Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway will span 403 kilometers and connect the port of Aqaba with key mining and production sites, as well as the Maan Logistics Zone. In addition, the network is designed to move bulk cargo and containers between ports, production centers and inland logistics facilities.
The works include track laying, about 55 bridges, six tunnels and associated engineering structures. Therefore, the Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway combines a large civil package with track and rail systems.
The network is expected to transport roughly 16 million metric tons of phosphate and potash a year. Moreover, the agreements signed in April were reported to split that volume into 13 million metric tons of phosphate and 2.6 million metric tons of potash.
According to reports on those agreements, the new line will replace a congested road used to haul potash from Ghor Al Safi to Aqaba and an older rail line that served phosphate exports from Al Shidiya. Meanwhile, the figures have moved since the signing. Partners cited about $2.3 billion and a 360 kilometer network in April, while the groundbreaking announcement describes a 403 kilometer network at about $2.5 billion.
Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway Ownership Splits Between Abu Dhabi and Jordan
The Jordan-UAE Railway Company is owned by L’IMAD Holding Company on the UAE side. On the Jordanian side, the shareholders are the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund and the Arab Potash Company.
Etihad Rail will act as the executing arm of the joint venture, according to reports on the April signing. In addition, Malak, who also serves as chief executive of the Ports and Logistics Platform at L’IMAD, said the company is working closely with Jordanian partners to deliver a modern and reliable rail system.
The scheme sits within a $5.5 billion investment framework that Jordan and the UAE first established in November 2023, followed by a memorandum of understanding in September 2024, according to the International Railway Journal. Furthermore, reports at the April signing described the project as the first phase of Jordan’s National Railway Network.
Officials cited financial closure by early 2027, construction over about five years and operations by 2030, according to those April reports. Chairman Mohammad Thneibat said, “Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Jordan-UAE partnership.”
Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway Targets 5,000 Jobs and $40 Million in Annual Savings
The Abu Dhabi Media Office reports that the Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway is expected to create about 5,000 jobs in southern Jordan. Moreover, the line is projected to cut phosphate and potash transport costs by around $40 million a year.
Spread across 16 million metric tons, that saving works out to roughly $2.50 per metric ton, based on the published figures. As a result, the economics of the Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway rest on volume, which is why the cargo forecast matters as much as the capital cost.
The project is also expected to open work for local companies in engineering, construction, maintenance, logistics and technology. Additionally, the line is expected to ease pressure on Jordan’s road network.
No main contractor, design consultant or lender has been named in the groundbreaking material. Thus procurement details for the Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway remain undisclosed.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Aqaba Al Shidiyeh Maan Railway Project
- Developer: Jordan-UAE Railway Company
- Location: Aqaba, Al Shidiyeh and the Maan Logistics Zone, southern Jordan
- Project Type: Freight railway for bulk cargo and containers
- Project Value: Approximately $2.5 billion (Abu Dhabi Media Office); about $2.3 billion cited at the April 2026 agreements
- Network Length: 403 kilometers at groundbreaking; 360 kilometers cited in April 2026
- Key Works: Track, about 55 bridges, six tunnels and associated structures
- Cargo Capacity: About 16 million metric tons of phosphate and potash a year
- Status: Groundbreaking held October 5, 2026
- Executing Arm: Etihad Rail
- Target Operations: 2030, as reported at the April 2026 signing
- Financial Close: Expected by early 2027, as reported in April 2026
- Jobs: About 5,000 in southern Jordan
- Cost Impact: Around $40 million a year in lower transport costs
- Procurement Model: Not publicly disclosed
Project Team
Owner and Developer
- Developer: Jordan-UAE Railway Company
- UAE Shareholder: L’IMAD Holding Company
- Jordanian Shareholder: Jordan Phosphate Mines Company
- Jordanian Shareholder: Arab Potash Company
- Jordanian Shareholder: Government Investments Management Company
- Jordanian Shareholder: Social Security Investment Fund
- Executing Arm: Etihad Rail
Design, Construction and Finance
- Design Team: Not publicly disclosed
- Main Contractor: Not yet awarded
- Lenders: Not publicly disclosed
Related Project: Dubai Metro Blue Line
- Client: Dubai Roads and Transport Authority
- Civil Works Contractor: MAPA
- Civil Works Contractor: LIMAK
- Rail Systems Contractor: CRRC
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