AMMAN — Aqaba’s ports have recorded significant growth in cargo-handling volumes and transit trade since the beginning of 2026, driven by increased activity across several port facilities, Hussein Safadi, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), has said. 

 

Presenting a briefing during Prime Minister Jafar Hassan’s visit to ADC, Safadi said that cargo-handling volumes rose by 63.6 per cent at New Aqaba Port, 39.3 per cent at the oil port, 29.3 per cent at the passenger terminal, 11.2 per cent at the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) facility and 6.6 per cent at the container port during the first nine months of the year.

 

Transit trade at the multi-purpose port increased 46-fold in 2026, reaching 1.8 million tonnes, compared with 38,900 tonnes in 2025, Safadi said in a statement, cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

“At the container port, transit trade rose by 151.8 per cent, with 115,762 containers handled, up from 45,981 in the previous year.”

 

“Grain-handling volumes at the multi-purpose port increased by 45.1 per cent to 3.62 million tonnes, compared with 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. The port also handled 1.67 million tonnes of grain for transit trade this year, whereas no grain was handled for transit trade in the previous year.”

 

Safadi also said that vehicle transit trade at the multi-purpose port grew by 38.4 per cent from the beginning of the year, reaching 94,530 vehicles. A further 79,795 vehicles were handled through the Aqaba cruise ship terminal.

 

To accommodate the increase in vehicle traffic, he said that storage capacity was expanded from 6,000 to 17,000 vehicles through the allocation of approximately 150,000 square metres of additional land adjacent to the port.

 

“Measures were also introduced to facilitate lorry movements and improve cargo-handling operations.”

 

Safadi also outlined key expansion and development projects at Aqaba Oil Terminal, including a new tender for the rapid construction of an additional oil berth.

 

The project is intended to support the future needs of the energy sector, ensure a reliable supply of petroleum products and facilitate deliveries to the domestic market and transit trade, he said.

 

Safadi also said ADC had signed a framework agreement with a private-sector investor to establish a facility to support the export of energy products. Construction is expected to take six to seven months. The facility is intended to ease pressure on the existing oil berth while increasing export capacity.

 

The expansion in port operations and logistics activity has coincided with the South Aqaba Investment Complex reaching full capacity in 2026, Safadi said.

 

“The complex represents an investment of approximately JD21 million and covers a developed area of more than 1.5 million square metres. It includes 12 modern warehouses, four ready-built industrial buildings, and developed areas for storage and light industry.”

 

Safadi said that ADC is holding discussions on a proposed expansion of approximately 500 dunums, equivalent to 500,000 square metres, to accommodate additional logistics and industrial activities.