JIFEX 2026 goes beyond logistics operations. Our conference agenda is built around three defining themes that are actively transforming how Jordan — and the region — moves people and products.
Why Rail? Why Now? For decades, Jordan's logistics sector operated almost entirely on road freight — a system that is costly, carbon-intensive, and constrained by road capacity. That is changing, and it is changing fast.
The $2.3 Billion Aqaba Port Railway — A 360 km freight corridor connecting Jordan's phosphate mines (Al-Shidiya) and potash operations (Ghor es-Safi) directly to the Port of Aqaba. Developed through the UAE-Jordan joint venture (UJRC) under Etihad Rail. Designed to transport 16 million tons of raw materials annually, doubling Jordan's mineral export capacity. Construction start: post-financial close in 2027. Target operations: approximately 2030.
The Jordan National Railway Project — A 897 km standard-gauge network connecting the Syrian border in the north to Aqaba in the south, via Amman and Zarqa. Positioned as the backbone of Jordan's multimodal freight future, with connections projected toward Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and European markets.
Saudi Arabia–Jordan Cross-Border Rail Corridor — Active ministerial-level discussions to develop a cross-border freight link, connecting with Saudi's North–South Railway and the Gulf rail network. Submitted for approvals from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Passenger Rail — The Heritage & Tourism Angle — The Hejaz Jordan Railway (HJR) launched a heritage passenger route from Amman to Mafraq in April 2025. Plans are in place to resume symbolic routes toward Daraa, Syria.
JIFEX 2026 Rail Sessions Will Cover
The Full Spectrum of Overland Movement. When we talk about land transport in Jordan and the region, we cannot limit the conversation to cargo trucks and freight containers. Land transport is also about people — the students, workers, families, and travelers who move across borders, between cities, and throughout communities every day.
Freight — The Current Reality & The Road Ahead. Road freight dominates Jordan's cargo movement, accounting for the vast majority of goods transported domestically and cross-border. Jordan's road network connects to Saudi Arabia (Durra crossing), Iraq (Karameh crossing), Syria (Nassib/Jaber crossing), and the Palestinian territories.
Key issues facing road freight today:
Passenger Land Transport — The Missing Conversation. Jordan's land transport sector has historically been analyzed through a freight lens. JIFEX 2026 changes that. JIFEX 2026 will dedicate a full session track to passenger land transport — inviting operators, investors, urban planners, and government officials to shape the policies and projects that will define how millions of people move across the region in the coming decade.
JIFEX 2026 Land Transport Sessions Will Cover
There are larger ports in the Middle East. There are busier ports. But there is no port quite like Aqaba — a city that combines the legal privileges of a free economic zone, the geographic advantages of a four-country coastal junction, and the industrial infrastructure to support the heaviest freight operations in the region.
JIFEX 2026 Aqaba Sessions Will Cover
Three days of keynotes, panels, workshops, and site visits — designed to create real decisions, not just conversations.