Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are putting in place an execution plan to start operations on the first stage of the Arab Trade Line, which is the first-ever shipping/logistics line connecting several countries from the Arab Gulf to Egypt on the way to European and American ports.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Transport, work is underway to build the Taba–Arish trade/logistics railway corridor, one of seven international developmental logistics corridors in the project, which will connect the ports of Nuweiba and Taba on the Gulf of Aqaba to the port of Arish on the Mediterranean.

The multimodal project - via land, sea and railways - involves linking the ports of Aqaba, Jordan and Nuweiba, Egypt on the Gulf of Aqaba.

The plan includes linking these ports via land through the Sinai to the ports of Arish, East Port Said, and on to other Mediterranean ports in Egypt (Damietta, Abu Qir, Alexandria, and Borg El-Arab).

The third phase of the project involves shipping to European and American ports.

In a strategic partnership with the Arab Bridge Maritime Company, the Egyptian transport ministry, in coordination with the Jordanian and Iraqi counterparts, devised an executive plan for maritime freight and passenger transport along the Arab Trade Line.

The statement highlighted that, as part of establishing this integrated axis, Egypt is currently implementing the second phase of the Arab Logistics Trade Line by constructing a railway line from Taba/Arish/Bir El-Abd/El-Ferdan, at a total length of 500 kilometres, to accommodate the targeted cargo volume from the Arab Gulf, Iraq, and Jordan to Europe and America.

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