AMMAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed four investment agreements totaling 2.3 billion U.S. dollars on Wednesday to build a railway project connecting Jordan's mining areas with the country's only port city, Aqaba.
The project is part of a larger 5.5-billion-dollar investment package signed by the two countries at the end of 2023. Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said in a statement that the railway will be operational in 2030.
Detailed studies on the railway routes and handling requirements for potash and phosphate will be completed by the end of 2025, with construction tenders expected to be issued early in 2026.
During the signing ceremony, attended by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Khasawneh emphasized the strategic importance of the project and its contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
He noted that the railway will enhance Jordan's logistical and export capabilities for phosphate and potash products while also creating new job opportunities. ■
