Government Finalizes Designs and Topographic Survey for Phosphate Railway Line
The government has concluded the economic feasibility study for the project to construct and operate a light rail system between the cities of Amman and Zarqa. Additionally, it has finalized the detailed designs and topographic survey works for the phosphate line, as part of a railway project linking the Industrial Port in Aqaba to mining areas.
اضافة اعلان
Regarding the light rail, the project entails rehabilitating the Hejaz light rail line between Amman and Zarqa, and expanding it from northern Zarqa to the airport, spanning a total length of 60 km with an expected speed of 60 km/h. The government has estimated the construction and operational cost of the light rail project at one billion JOD.
According to the Q1 2026 report on the Executive Program of the Economic Modernization Vision (2026–2029), published by the Government Performance and Achievement Follow-up Unit at the Prime Ministry, several milestones were achieved in the transport and logistics sector:
Issuing 14,132 completed licenses through the Prior Approvals and Licensing Platform.
Processing 9,747 customs declarations via the E-Commerce Center.
Equipping 30 buses with Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) within the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) boundaries.
Installing 23 smart system devices on buses operating between the capital, governorates, and districts under phases one and two.
The report indicated that the citizen satisfaction rate with public transport services reached 68%, while public transport coverage of inhabited geographical areas reached 70%.
Public Transport & Land Freight Developments
In the public transport dossier, the report noted that under the Amman-Zarqqa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, the tender for constructing the Al-Mahatta Passenger Terminal was re-invited under Package Zero. Additionally, the pre-qualification tender for the fare collector was re-issued by the Ministry of Investment as part of official operations.
In the land transport sector, the tender was awarded for the design, development, implementation, and operation of the Land Transport Services Management Project in the Kingdom, within the framework of preparing an integrated national system and the transport document for the Unified Transport System Project.
Furthermore, the regulation for passenger transport via smart applications was approved. Concurrently, work commenced on establishing and merging line-role regulation companies under the project to develop scheduled transport services between the capital and governorate/district centers, in accordance with Article (13) of the Passenger Transport Law of 2017. A contract was also signed with the supplier of ITS equipment.
For the Land Freight Sector Development Plan, the tender for the redistribution of transport modes was floated and awarded, and evaluation began on the decisions outlined in the project's second phase. Terms of Reference (ToR) were also drafted to study the establishment of a Jordanian National Land Transport Company ahead of floating the tender.
Road Infrastructure & Aviation
In road infrastructure, maintenance and rehabilitation tenders for the arterial and primary road networks in the northern, central, and southern regions were awarded. Tenders for studies on the Irbid Ring Road and the As-Salt Ring Road were also awarded, with commencement orders issued under the study modernization project for both roads.
The government secured the necessary funding for the equipment and machinery procurement tender, as well as the Road Asset Management System procurement tender, through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Additionally, the tender was awarded and a commencement order was issued for the electronic linkage project connecting all Ministry sites to the Central Command and Control Room.
In the aviation sector, the report highlighted that negotiations for the development, management, and operation project of King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba were completed. The framework agreement draft was prepared and agreed upon with the investing company in preparation for its signing and the launch of strategic plans and studies.
Moreover, the backfilling works for the valley adjacent to Runway (24) from the northern side were fully completed and officially received under the Amman City Airport operation and airside rehabilitation project. The tender for the air navigation network and runway meteorological observation systems was also awarded under the project to enhance the efficiency of Jordanian airspace, aimed at achieving flexible, reliable, and sustainable operations while facilitating air traffic in the Aqaba region.
Ports, Railways, and Customs Logistics
In the ports sector, tender documents for the development of the Oil Port were amended to upgrade the port’s capacity for handling petroleum products and to enhance public safety measures, with the tender invitation published locally and internationally.
As for the railway sector, a tender was awarded to procure consulting services for drafting legal legislation. The first phase of reviewing the current legislative and regulatory framework for the railway transport sector in Jordan was completed under the project for preparing and approving railway legislations, regulations, and instructions.
In customs and logistics, the central tender for constructing the Customs Escort Building in the Azraq Shishani area (Zarqa Governorate) was awarded. Meanwhile, the handover committee for the employee housing project at the Karameh Customs Center concluded field audits, and the building has commenced operations.
Furthermore, trade data was updated for 18 out of 72 targeted commodities on the Jordan Trade Facilitation Portal. These included wheat, sugar, coffee, sweetened biscuits, fresh vegetables and fruits, gold, handbags, new footwear, new apparel, and furniture.
The report also noted that the business environment and procedures engineering were analyzed for 14 customs directorates and centers. Reviewing processes and identifying requirements linked to customs declarations began in preparation for digitalizing the Comprehensive Customs Operations System. Additionally, the digitalization project tender for the Prior Approvals and Licensing Platform was awarded.
At the Durra Border Center Development Project, the completion rate reached 65%. Works included finishing the sewage, water, and electricity networks under the first package, and executing services for internal and external buildings and the transformation station. The drafting of documents for the second package (passenger and cargo zones) is being finalized ahead of re-tendering.
Finally, an agreement was signed with the new operator for the Truck Control System Project, and the gradual migration and execution of operational modes began without disrupting cargo traffic, concluding with a successful actual transfer. For the King Hussein Bridge Station Project, final blueprints and tender documents were received, and the Department of Government Tenders was formally addressed to proceed with the direct assignment (تلزيم) to the contractor for project execution.
Al-Mamlaka
