Ma’an Governorate is poised to strengthen its position on Jordan’s economic and logistics map as the Kingdom moves towards implementing strategic projects linking Aqaba Port with production and mining areas. These include the Aqaba–Shidiya–Ma’an railway and the Ma’an dry port, which are expected to open new investment opportunities, enhance the competitiveness of national exports, reduce transport costs and create jobs.
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Economic and development experts from Ma’an told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the railway and dry port would form a key pillar of Jordan’s transport and logistics system. They said integrating the two projects could attract new investment in mining, industry, storage and distribution, create jobs, and support economic development in the governorate and southern Jordan.
Mohammad Abu Tayeh, CEO of Ma’an Development Company, said Prime Minister Jafar Hassan’s visit to the Aqaba port system and his emphasis on the strategic importance of the Aqaba–Ma’an dry port highlighted the need to connect the development of the Kingdom’s maritime gateway with development and investment opportunities across governorates, particularly Ma’an.
He said the project’s development value lies in enabling Ma’an to host economic activities linked to cargo movement, including storage, consolidation, distribution, logistics services and supporting industries, allowing the governorate to become a value-added hub.
Abu Tayeh added that, as the main developer of the Ma’an Development Zone, the company views the dry port as a complementary project to the area’s industrial and investment base. It would strengthen links between Aqaba’s ports, industrial and mining production centres, and distribution facilities, creating opportunities for new investment in warehouses, transport and support services. It would also improve industrial competitiveness by making the handling of raw materials and finished products more efficient.
He noted that planned integration with the railway would be important in strengthening the viability of the logistics system. The company’s role, he said, is to prepare the investment environment, coordinate with relevant authorities, promote opportunities linked to the project and enhance its integration with the Al-Rawdah Industrial Zone. This would expand opportunities for local businesses in supply, maintenance, transport and services.
He added that Ma’an has historically served as a crossroads, linking the Arabian Peninsula with the Levant, thanks to its strategic location along transport and trade routes.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hawarin, a professor of economic development and labour markets in the Department of Economics at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University’s Faculty of Business, said the railway project aims to transport around 16 million tonnes annually, including approximately 13 million tonnes of phosphate. This is expected to reduce phosphate and potash transport costs by around $40 million annually, improve supply-chain efficiency, strengthen the competitiveness of Jordanian exports in global markets, increase exports and investment, create jobs, and stimulate transport, mining, logistics and related industries.
He said linking Shidiya with Ma’an and Aqaba would provide a foundation for attracting investment in mining, industry, storage, cargo handling and logistics, particularly through the anticipated integration with the Ma’an dry port. The port could strengthen Ma’an’s role as a centre for receiving, consolidating, storing and distributing goods.
The project includes loading and unloading facilities, maintenance and operating facilities, warehouses, service centres and supporting industries along the transport network. These would expand investment activity in Ma’an and Aqaba governorates and reinforce Aqaba’s position as a regional trade and logistics gateway.
Al-Hawarin said the project could create around 5,000 jobs in southern Jordan, in addition to indirect employment generated by related economic and investment activities, stimulating the local economy and expanding employment opportunities.
He added that the planned network would extend approximately 403 kilometres, including 360 kilometres for the phosphate and potash routes and 43 kilometres linking Shidiya with Ma’an. This would establish a high-capacity heavy-freight transport system connecting production areas directly with Aqaba’s ports and logistics centres.
Shifting most bulk raw-material transport from trucks to rail would reduce fuel, operating and road-maintenance costs, ease pressure on the road network and limit the environmental impact of heavy transport, while trucks would continue to serve local and regional distribution needs, he said.
The project would also strengthen the competitiveness of Jordanian products by transporting around 13 million tonnes of phosphate annually from production areas to Aqaba more efficiently, reliably and at lower cost. This is particularly significant given that Jordanian phosphate production exceeded 12 million tonnes in 2025, including around 7.5 million tonnes from the Shidiya mine alone.
Al-Hawarin added that the project would support expanded production and value-added processing industries, such as phosphoric acid and specialised fertilisers. Lower transport and logistics costs would help these products compete in overseas markets.
He said the railway could serve as the foundation for a national rail network under future plans to connect Aqaba with Ma’an, then Al-Madouna and northern Jordan, with potential future links to Syria, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. This would extend the project’s benefits to other industrial, commercial and logistics sectors beyond mining.
Wasfi Salah, director general of the Mudawwara Customs Clearance Office, described the railway as a strategic step forward for the national economy and one of Jordan’s major railway projects.
He said the project, which forms part of the Royal vision to attract investment and implement development initiatives, would improve the competitiveness of national exports, support mining, reduce transport costs and enhance supply-chain efficiency.
Connecting phosphate and potash mines directly to Aqaba’s industrial port would improve operational efficiency in the mining sector, strengthen the competitiveness of Jordanian products in global markets, reduce freight costs and improve logistics services compared with conventional road transport, he added.
Salah said the project would strengthen Jordan’s position as a regional logistics hub by developing its transport and trade systems and reinforcing Aqaba’s role as a gateway linking regional and international markets. This would support imports and exports and open new opportunities for trade.
He noted that linking ports with development and industrial zones and the Ma’an dry port could stimulate investment in energy, industry, trade, agriculture and tourism, while supporting infrastructure and housing development. These developments would contribute to economic growth in Ma’an and neighbouring governorates.
Salah also stressed the importance of preserving government assets and ensuring the project operates and is maintained efficiently over the long term. Under the agreement governing the Jordanian Emirati partnership, the project is intended to remain operationally sustainable and preserve its assets, with ownership transferring to the Jordanian government after 30 years, in accordance with the agreement’s terms.
Mahmoud Al-Naimat, former head of the Ma’an Governorate Council, said the railway and dry port represented a significant development opportunity for the governorate. They could strengthen its role as a transport and logistics hub and connect production and mining areas with ports and markets, positively affecting economic and investment activity in southern Jordan.
He said the projects’ real significance lies in their ability to turn Ma’an’s strategic location into tangible economic opportunities by attracting investment in storage, transport, industry and support services. He emphasised the importance of strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors and creating an investment-friendly environment that enables local businesses to benefit from opportunities arising during the projects’ construction and operation.
Al-Naimat added that achieving sustainable development would require linking major projects to local communities’ needs, particularly by creating jobs for young people and training them for roles in transport, logistics and supporting industries. He also stressed the need to develop infrastructure and services in the governorate, ensure Ma’an residents share in the benefits of development, and strengthen their participation in the economic activities associated with the projects.
Source: Petra
