Etihad Rail tenders first section of Jordan phosphate rail
19 September 2025
Abu Dhabi's National Infrastructure Construction Company, a subsidiary of Etihad Rail, has tendered a contract covering the construction works for the first section of a phosphate railway line stretching from Al-Shidiya to Aqaba in Jordan.
The scope of work covers the construction of civil works, including the tunnel and mechanical, electrical and plumbing works on the railway line.
The client has set a deadline of 22 September for firms to submit their technical and commercial proposals.
In April, a French-Swiss joint venture of Egis and Arx was awarded a design consultancy contract for the project.
In September last year, Etihad Rail announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $2.3bn with Jordan’s Transport Ministry and local companies to develop the phosphate railway line in Jordan.
In an official statement, Etihad Rail said it had signed an agreement with Jordan to build, operate and maintain the project.
The statement added that other MoUs were signed with Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and Arab Potash Company to transport 16 million tonnes of phosphate and potash annually from mining sites to the Port of Aqaba via the Jordanian railway network.
The MoUs also cover the manufacturing and supply of rolling stock; the construction of terminals in Aqaba, Ghor Al-Safi and Shidiya; and the railway line’s maintenance, repair and operation.
Project history
In 2015, Jordan’s Transport Ministry tendered a contract to construct the Shidiya rail link. The proposed rail link was intended to facilitate the transport of 6 million tonnes a year of phosphate from mines in Shidiya to Wadi Al-Yutum near Aqaba.
In November of that year, a joint venture of China Communications Construction Company and local contracting firm Masar United were confirmed as the lowest bidders and were awaiting the formal award of the contract to build the 21-kilometre spur line.
The project was subsequently put on hold due to funding issues.
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