Recently, King Abdullah II bin Hussein of Jordan and Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi jointly attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Aqaba Shidiyah Ma'an railway project, which was held at the port of Aqaba in Jordan.

The project is undertaken by the Jordan UAE Railway Company and adopts a joint investment model between the UAE and Jordan, with a total investment of approximately 2.5 billion US dollars. It will build a new railway network with a total length of 403 kilometers. As the largest strategic project in Jordan's railway sector to date, the project efficiently connects the port of Aqaba with key mining areas, production bases, and the Maan logistics area, building a comprehensive transportation system for bulk cargo and containers that connects ports, production centers, and inland logistics facilities. This effectively alleviates the pressure on road transportation capacity and promotes the transformation of Jordan's transportation system towards a more efficient and sustainable direction.

The project covers the main track laying, as well as approximately 55 bridges, 6 tunnels, and supporting engineering facilities. After the full operation of the route, it is expected to transport approximately 16 million tons of phosphate and potassium fertilizers annually, which will significantly improve the efficiency of mineral resource transfer from the production area to the port of Aqaba, and help Jordan's export products enter regional and global markets with stronger competitiveness.

The economic spillover effects of the project will cover multiple fields and regions along the route: it is expected to create about 5000 job opportunities in southern Jordan, reduce the transportation costs of phosphate and potassium fertilizers by about 40 million US dollars annually, and directly enhance the international competitiveness of Jordan's mining sector. At the same time, the project will open up broader space for local enterprises in engineering, construction, operation and maintenance, logistics, technology, and supporting industries, driving the synchronous improvement of economic activity and development level in various provinces in southern Jordan.

In terms of equity structure, Jordan UAE Railway Company is the main implementing entity of this project. The UAE side is funded by L'IMAD Holdings, while the Jordan side is jointly owned by Jordan Phosphate Mining Company, Government Investment Management Company, Social Security Investment Fund, and Arab Potash Company. This move embodies the shared vision of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Jordanian King Abdullah II to deepen the sustainable strategic partnership between the two countries. (This article is from www.seetao.com, the official website of Daodao, and cannot be reproduced without permission. Otherwise, it will be prosecuted. Please specify the website of Daodao+the original link for reproduction.) See the editor of the the Belt and Road column of Daodao/Wang Xia