Thursday: Prime Minister Bisher and Minister of Defense Al Khasawneh said:
Projects includ a railway link between Aqaba and Madouneh, part of a logistics that also includes the zone, a strategic hub between four neighbouring countries
In this regard, he said that the government will finalise necessary measures to embark on this vital project and connect it with the broader infrastructure, including the zone that His Majesty King Abdullah has recently visited.
Khasawneh referred to several bureaucratic obstacles, highlighting the importance of enhancing competitiveness, especially that many regional countries have privileges related to lower power costs and bigger markets due to large investment volumes.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan faced an additional burden that increased the already high unemployment rates, affecting economic sectors that either continue working at the minimal level or closed to maintain a stable epidemiological situation, the premier said.
He also pledged the government’s commitment to partnership with the private sector to move ahead with an economic recovery programme for the post-pandemic period, improve the economic conditions and achieve the envisioned economic refor
The prime minister also said that the government is aware of the magnitude of challenges facing Mafraq due to the Syrian refugee crisis, which caused hardships and challenge
Amendments to the Investment Law will cut red tape for investors,for a qualitative leap and revolution in the investment field,
Salem Khazaleh, chairman of the board of the directors of the zone, said that the investment volume in the zone has reached some Jordanian Dinars 250 million, in addition to another JD150 million for solar energy project
CEO of Al Daman for Development Zones Company, Luay Sarairah, noted that the zone,21 square kilometers in area, is located at highways connecting Jordan with Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The zone has a 1,300 workers, 70 per cent of whom are from Mafraq, with the total number expected to reach 1,700 after the completion of projects already under constructio
Edited and distilled from Jordan Time, The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported
daveklepper Thursday: Prime Minister Bisher and Minister of Defence Al Khasawneh said: The government will launch major projects, mainly in railways, and several firms have expressed interest in the project. The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported: During a visit to the King Hussein Bin Talal Development Zone in Mafraq. meeting with several zone investors and officials, Khasawneh stressed that the government will remove obstacles and facilitate investment. Projects includ a railway link between Aqaba and Madouneh, part of a logistics that also includes the zone, a strategic hub between four neighbouring countries In this regard, he said that the government will finalise necessary measures to embark on this vital project and connect it with the broader infrastructure, including the zone that His Majesty King Abdullah has recently visited. Khasawneh referred to several bureaucratic obstacles, highlighting the importance of enhancing competitiveness, especially that many regional countries have privileges related to lower power costs and bigger markets due to large investment volumes. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan faced an additional burden that increased the already high unemployment rates, affecting economic sectors that either continue working at the minimal level or closed to maintain a stable epidemiological situation, the premier said. He also pledged the government’s commitment to partnership with the private sector to move ahead with an economic recovery programme for the post-pandemic period, improve the economic conditions and achieve the envisioned economic refor The prime minister also said that the government is aware of the magnitude of challenges facing Mafraq due to the Syrian refugee crisis, which caused hardships and challenge Amendments to the Investment Law will cut red tape for investors,for a qualitative leap and revolution in the investment field, Salem Khazaleh, chairman of the board of the directors of the zone, said that the investment volume in the zone has reached some Jordanian Dinars 250 million, in addition to another JD150 million for solar energy project CEO of Al Daman for Development Zones Company, Luay Sarairah, noted that the zone,21 square kilometers in area, is located at highways connecting Jordan with Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The zone has a 1,300 workers, 70 per cent of whom are from Mafraq, with the total number expected to reach 1,700 after the completion of projects already under constructio Edited and distilled from Jordan Time, The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported
Thursday: Prime Minister Bisher and Minister of Defence Al Khasawneh said:
The lack of vision among the Middle Eastern kingdoms is just amazing to me. Most of the rest of the world is moving to market integration and common markets and the Middle East is still very much focused only on within their own borders. No plans to link or standardize Jordan railways with another country? No plans to place orders in concert with another country to take advantage of economies of scale or market power of larger orders. Nope none of that yet.
Very self-centered as if the world ends at their borders.
What I found interesting was that one of the people who announced it was the Defense Minister.
When your neighbors are Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel, your world pretty much does end at your borders.
Without being political, I can say the at one of my goals in living in Israel is to change that condition, and my most frequent routr to my apartment in the evening involves an Arab bus, the Light Rail, and then an Egged bus.
Both I and at least one planner in Israel Railways hope to have Jordan use Haifa's Port.
And I have read the Koran and can recite Surahs 93-10 and 5-20+21 in English. Anyone interested in honestly helping here should read them.
daveklepper ...Khasawneh stressed that the government will remove obstacles and facilitate investment. Projects includ a railway link between Aqaba and Madouneh, part of a logistics that also includes the zone, a strategic hub between four neighbouring countries In this regard, he said that the government will finalise necessary measures to embark on this vital project and connect it with the broader infrastructure, including the zone that His Majesty King Abdullah has recently visited. Khasawneh referred to several bureaucratic obstacles, highlighting the importance of enhancing competitiveness, especially that many regional countries have privileges related to lower power costs and bigger markets due to large investment volumes. Amendments to the Investment Law will cut red tape for investors,for a qualitative leap and revolution in the investment field. Edited and distilled from Jordan Time, The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported
Amendments to the Investment Law will cut red tape for investors,for a qualitative leap and revolution in the investment field.
Dave,
This sounds like very positive news of widespread future expansion and development. Will new railroads all be standard gage with interchangeable equipment, couplers, and braking equipment?
Based on what was mentioned in earlier posts, re-gauging would seem a bit unlikely at this time.
I think that will depend on the extent of funding.
All Jordanian Government funding, no. Help from USA or elsewhere. possibly yes. Private investment, most probably yes.
daveklepper I think that will depend on the extent of funding. All Jordanian Government funding, no. Help from USA or elsewhere. possibly yes. Private investment, most probably yes.
Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are all standard gauge. There are no coupler or brake situations that cannot be solved easily.
Syria has some narrow gauge anf may have some stanatd-gauge as well.
daveklepper Without being political, I can say the at one of my goals in living in Israel is to change that condition, and my most frequent routr to my apartment in the evening involves an Arab bus, the Light Rail, and then an Egged bus. Both I and at least one planner in Israel Railways hope to have Jordan use Haifa's Port. And I have read the Koran and can recite Surahs 93-10 and 5-20+21 in English. Anyone interested in honestly helping here should read them.
Well that is hopeful, I am not sure what the beef is between the Jordanian Royal Family and the rest of the fiefdoms in the Middle East but in my view they need to get past it. If Iraq and Kuwait can bury the hatchet and form transborder agreements with the Electrical grid and other issues then Jordan (which is alleged to be the most moderate) should be able too as well. There is a small subset of Arab countries which just refuse to work together with one another. I don't get it. It's great Isreal is reaching out maybe that will inspire change.
CMStPnPThere is a small subset of Arab countries which just refuse to work together with one another.
Recall what happened in the Balkans - when totalitarian rule ended, the various factions were free to fight each other instead of the common enemy, which was the government.
These folks hate each other. No two ways about it.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
A bit of history, and this is history, not politics.
daveklepperA bit of history, and this is history, not politics. Jews, Christians, and Moslems with differing theology generally got along and respected each other, until the British appointed the Jerusalem Mufti Haaj Al Husseini in 1926. He had begun corresponding with Hitler in 1923. He really transformed much of the Islamic World. And when you teach hatred as part of religion, the hatred usually ends up directed at anyone different, and that is what happened in the Islamic World.
I read about some of that did not know how much is true. Good luck with efforts to purge the negativism. I guess in the ME it also has to do with lack of seperation between church and state as well.
It just boggles my mind though on the railroad front that over in this hemisphere as well as in Europe and parts of Asia we have no issues with seeing inter-connectivity of rail systems and shared standards for the sake of efficiency but in the ME it is still as if time has stood still for the last several centuries or more. I agree the Ottoman Empire had a positive impact in the area of rail being standardized but.....it's long gone.
I thought I would never see the day when a reputable European or German rail company like Siemens would be selling direct to U.S. Market with even a plant built here. So I guess there has been change in the United States market to an extent.....even to the point of accepting a Japanese transplant system (Texas Central).
Though in the area of safety, emissions, standards, and economies of scale we have a common market for a long while that includes Canada and Mexico and sometimes other countries outside the hemisphere.
This may have been discussed before but are there any parts of the Hedjaz railway still in existence in Jordan? In use? I have seen photos of it, still abandoned in Saudi Arabia over 100 years after T. E. Lawrence did what he did.
Part of that railway is included in the Jordanian main line from Aman to Akaba (Red Sea Port). Potash is mined along the line and is a main export at Akaba. Oil from the Emirates ans Saudi Arabia arrives at Aqaba, and I am unsure if there is a pipeline. This portion is used heavily, but I am not sure about regular passenger service.
daveklepperOil from the Emirates and Saudi Arabia arrives at Akaba, and I am unsure if there is a pipeline.
As here: https://www.gem.wiki/Iraq-Jordan_Oil_Pipeline#Original_Pipeline_Plan
good correction thanks
"Very self-centered as if the world ends at their borders."
Perhaps the Jordanians have reservations that if they make their network compatible , some of the more "expeditionary minded" among their neighbors might exploit it a path of conquest?
Convicted OnePerhaps the Jordanians have reservations that if they make their network compatible , some of the more "expeditionary minded" among their neighbors might exploit it a path of conquest?
I had to look up the last time it happened and it was the infamous PLO doublecross of 1970-1971. Railways were not a factor. Too much trust by the Arabs in Arafat was.
My point being, enhanced access works for better AND for worse. And in that neigborhood I believe caution is a virtue. Never know WHO might come visiting.
That is one of the reasons why the Russian Railways are a unique gauge from way back in the day.
kgbw49That is one of the reasons why the Russian Railways are a unique gauge from way back in the day.
Which tells one all they need to know about how Russia wants to 'interact' with the rest of the world.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It wasn't until the early 1870's that rail lines in the US and Canada started to become a network. Rail lines were originally competitive weapons used to control market areas. An example...Portland, Maine. Used 5 foot gauge to preclude Boston interests with its 4'8 1/2" from competing north and northwest. Canadian lines were built using 5' gauge because of Portland.
I suspect some of us may have grown overly cynical? Perhaps Jordan is looking forward to developing a bustling trans-load industry?
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