Public RecordRecord
Chinese contractors start work on 403km Jordan-UAE railway
CCECC and CFHEC begin construction on six-package rail project linking Aqaba with mining sites and Maan logistics zone.
Beijing-headquartered contractors China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and China First Highway Engineering Company have started construction on the Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway project in Jordan, according to a report published by MEED on 9 October 2026. The 403-kilometre rail network is divided into six construction packages, with CCECC executing packages one to four and CFHEC undertaking packages five and six.
L'imad Holding of Abu Dhabi holds an ownership stake in the Jordan-UAE Railway Company alongside four Jordanian entities: the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, the Government Investments Management Company, the Social Security Investment Fund and the Arab Potash Company, according to MEED. The project carries an estimated value of $2.5bn, the report stated.
Scope and infrastructure#
The contractors will construct railway tracks, approximately 55 bridges, six tunnels and related structures, MEED reported. The rail line will connect Aqaba with mining and production sites and the Maan logistics zone. The network will handle bulk cargo and containers moving between ports, production centres and inland logistics facilities, according to the report. Annual capacity is projected at around 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash transported from production sites to port facilities at Aqaba, MEED stated.
Design consultancy and groundbreaking#
Egis and Arx, a French-Swiss joint venture, received the design consultancy contract in April 2025, according to MEED. Officials from Jordan and the UAE attended a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this week that marked the formal construction start, the report stated. The ceremony date was not specified in the published report.
Transport capacity and cargo flows#
The railway is designed to handle 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually, moving material from production sites to port facilities at Aqaba, according to the MEED report. The network will serve mining operations, production centres and the Maan logistics zone, with infrastructure including 55 bridges and six tunnels across the 403-kilometre route. Construction is proceeding under six separate packages awarded to the two Chinese contractors, MEED reported.
Sources2 sources across 2 domains
- meed.comMEEDChinese contractors CCECC and CFHEC started construction on the 403km Aqaba-Al-Shidiyeh-Maan Railway, project value $2.5bn, scope includes 55 bridges and six tunnels, expected to carry 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually, developed by Jordan-UAE Railway Company jointly owned by L'imad
- constructionweekonline.comConstruction Week Online403km railway will connect Aqaba with Jordan's mining sites, supporting mineral exports, logistics and regional trade
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