AD Ports to invest $38m in Jordan’s Aqaba in partnership deal

The UAE’s AD Ports Group will invest nearly $38 million for the development of Jordan’s southern Aqaba port under a management and partnership agreement signed in Amman on Thursday.

The 30-year agreement will establish a joint venture to manage and operate the port, with AD Ports controlling 70 percent and Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) holding the remaining 30 percent. 

Under the agreement, AD Ports will invest around AED141 million ($38.5 million) in the joint venture, in addition to bringing extensive port development and operational expertise to the transaction, the two sides said in a joint statement carried by the Abu Dhabi media office and Jordan’s news agency.

“This agreement further strengthens AD Ports Group to drive long-term, transformative economic impact in the region, enabling further business growth in support of the aspirations of our partners in Jordan,” said Mohamed Al Shamisi, managing director and Group CEO at AD Ports.

The Port of Aqaba handles about 80 percent of Jordan’s exports and 65 percent of its imports, according to the statement.

The port has an annual handling capacity of 11 million tonnes, supported by nine berths and 2km quay.

In 2025, the terminal handled more than 5.3 million tonnes of cargo and nearly 85,000 car equivalent units (CEUs) of imports.

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The UAE is one of the largest aid donors to Jordan, along with the Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

In 2023, the Abu Dhabi government said it would fund a project to expand Jordan’s domestic gas network in key industrial cities with a value of around $70 million.

The funds are part of a $400 million credit to be provided to Jordan by the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, it said.

The agreement also involved funding several other development projects in Jordan, including the construction of schools, land reclamation, and a $100 million digitalisation project by the health ministry, besides $75 million to support Jordan’s budget.