The Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) will issue two tenders by the end of this month for the construction and operation of a new oil port, part of a broader push to expand the Kingdom's port and logistics capacity as cargo volumes rise.
اضافة اعلان
Hussein Safadi, chief executive of the ADC, told Al-Ghad he expects roughly 114 vessels to call at Aqaba's ports by the end of September, a figure he described as substantial.
The expansion comes as Aqaba handles a growing share of goods bound for regional markets, which is placing new demands on berths, storage yards and the road network that connects them.
One system, six ports
Safadi said a recent meeting chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan addressed Aqaba's port and logistics sector as a single system rather than a set of separate facilities. That system spans the oil port, the container terminal, the general cargo port, the vehicle port, the phosphate port and the industrial port. Treating them together, he argued, improves how the network as a whole responds to demand.
The immediate priority is keeping imports and exports moving and meeting local market needs, Safadi said. A longer-term strategy is being developed in parallel to sustain the system and strengthen Aqaba's competitive position in regional trade.
Aqaba now serves as a significant route for goods destined for Iraq and for vehicles and heavy cargo moving toward Saudi Arabia. Safadi said that traffic requires infrastructure flexible enough to absorb it without creating bottlenecks.
Yards, trucks and crossings
Logistics yards have been prepared to hold more than 30,000 vehicles at one time, Safadi said. The ADC is working with Saudi and Iraqi counterparts to ease truck entry and prevent congestion at the crossings. Preparations also included dedicated areas for long-stay cargo and for empty containers, alongside permission to import containers through more than one crossing point, which spreads the load away from the port itself.
The number of land transport trips has risen to nine, excluding transit traffic, and trucks may now carry more than two 20-foot containers per journey. Managing higher volumes takes more than added berth capacity, Safadi explained, and depends on how well yards, containers, trucks and transport corridors work together.
These steps form part of a wider effort to establish Aqaba as a regional supply chain hub, drawing on its location and its links to Iraq and Saudi Arabia while serving domestic demand.
Expert assessment
Ibrahim Al-Nuaimat, described in the original report as an expert in maritime transport economics, called the oil port tenders a forward-looking move that shows the government recognises the need to modernise infrastructure. He characterised Aqaba as a central artery for the economy.
Giving the local market priority is a sovereign choice that shields Jordanian consumers and manufacturers from swings in global supply chains, Al-Nuaimat argued, while leaving enough capacity to serve transit trade and the revenue it brings the treasury.
Mohammad Al-Khatib, identified as a supply chain management expert, said yards on that scale reflect planning for regional trade requirements rather than current demand alone. Logistical integration with neighbouring countries calls for infrastructure that can absorb shocks and sudden increases in cargo, he explained.
Al-Khatib added that Aqaba's handling of its yards and facilities has made it an attractive option for shipping lines and freight companies, with knock-on effects for Jordan's standing in global logistics rankings and its appeal to foreign investors.
The prime minister's meeting
Hassan chaired a meeting attended by ministers, officials and private sector representatives to discuss supply chain resilience and procedures at Aqaba's ports and border crossings under current regional conditions. He called for continued coordination between government bodies and the private sector to keep goods flowing.
Participants reviewed the state of operations at Aqaba's ports, which were described as operating at full capacity amid rising demand from foreign companies, with competitive handling times.
The meeting also covered conditions at other border crossings and reviewed logistical contingency plans intended to keep supply chains running and essential goods available in the local market.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Ahmad Al-Rawashdeh.
