Transport

Jordan’s transport sector underwent significant expansion in 2015 with upgrades to road, rail, air and sea links all driving the sector. Indeed, the port of Aqaba has completed much of its expansion work and is now engaged in new phases of re-development and growth. The road network continues to be upgraded in line with the 25-year road improvement programme commenced in 2002, which will see a total of around $1.8bn invested in the kingdom’s roadways. In the aviation segment, the new Queen Alia International Airport received 7.09m passengers in 2014, an increase of 9% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the Aqaba-Ma’an-Amman railway is the cornerstone of a JD2bn ($2.8bn) plan for a rail network announced in April 2015. In addition to improving connectivity, the project is expected to reduce transport costs, making Jordanian exports more competitive and imports cheaper.

This chapter contains an interview with Lina Shbeeb, Former Minister of Transport.