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Jordan Rail Project Could Become Key Link in IMEC Corridor
Jordan has started building a railway to carry minerals to the Red Sea.
The project is being developed with support from the United Arab Emirates.
An analyst says the railway could become part of a much larger transport network.
That network could help connect India, Gulf countries, the Mediterranean and Europe.
Jordan is between existing and developing rail networks in nearby countries.
A proposed longer railway would connect Aqaba, Ma’an and Madouneh with the Amman area.
The analyst argues that Jordan should gain jobs, investment and logistics businesses from its location.
The railway’s role in a wider corridor is a possibility, not a confirmed outcome.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan laid the foundation stone for the Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma’an railway on October 5.
The Jordanian-Emirati project is officially intended to transport phosphate and potash to the Red Sea.
The railway could form part of a wider Jordanian freight network and eventually support the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
A proposed approximately 418-kilometre line would link Aqaba, Ma’an and Madouneh to the Amman area.
Analyst Vas Shenoy says Jordan’s location could connect regional rail networks, but Jordan was not a signatory to the original IMEC memorandum in 2023.
- Who
- Jordan and the United Arab Emirates; King Abdullah II and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the foundation-stone ceremony.
- What
- Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma’an railway construction began, potentially forming part of a wider Jordanian freight network and IMEC.
- Where
- The railway project is in Jordan, linking the Aqaba, Shidiya and Ma’an area; a wider proposed network would extend to Madouneh and the Amman area.
- When
- The foundation stone was laid on October 5; the article does not specify the year.
- Why
- The line is officially intended to transport phosphate and potash to the Red Sea; its wider potential is to connect regional transport networks and support trade and investment.
Potential strategic role
Project’s stated scope and uncertainties
Connection to IMEC
Potential strategic role
Vas Shenoy argues Jordan’s location and a future railway connection could make it a vital link between Saudi and Israeli rail networks and help complete IMEC’s Middle Eastern rail component.
Project’s stated scope and uncertainties
The railway’s stated purpose is to carry phosphate and potash to the Red Sea; its role in IMEC remains a future possibility, not a confirmed connection.
Benefits for Jordan
Potential strategic role
Shenoy says Jordan should turn its geographic position into dry ports, logistics, industry, jobs and investment rather than merely serving as transit territory.
Project’s stated scope and uncertainties
The article describes these as national interests and potential benefits; it does not report that the wider network or those outcomes have been secured.
Key facts
- Project
- Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma’an railway
- Official purpose
- Transport phosphate and potash to the Red Sea
- Foundation-stone ceremony
- October 5; year not specified in the article
- Proposed wider line
- Approximately 418 kilometres, linking Aqaba, Ma’an and Madouneh to the Amman area
- Regional initiative
- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi
- Jordan’s status
- Not a signatory to the original IMEC memorandum in 2023
- Analyst cited
- Vas Shenoy, writing in Caṇakya — The Indo Mediterranean Initiative
Quotes
Vas Shenoy
Italian-Indian entrepreneur and analyst who wrote about Jordan’s role in regional infrastructure.
“The maritime connection between India and the UAE already exists. The Emirates have built Etihad Rail. Saudi Arabia has a rapidly expanding railway network. On the Mediterranean side, Israel’s railway reaches Beit She’an, close to the Jordanian border, connecting it to Haifa. In between lies Jordan, without the railway continuity necessary to connect these systems.”
thehansindia.com
“Amman was not among the signatories of the original IMEC memorandum in 2023. Jordan, however, given its position, is difficult to bypass. The most natural route between the Saudi and Israeli railway networks crosses Jordanian territory. Without that connection, the Middle Eastern railway component of IMEC remains incomplete.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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