Jordan intends to issue tenders for the construction of a new border centre and crossing with nearby Saudi Arabia in early 2024, an official was quoted on Thursday as saying.

The project is expected to cost around 22 million Iraqi dinars ($31 million) and is intended to cope with an upturn in the movement of individuals and goods, said Hussein Al-Safadi, CEO of the Aqaba Development Corporation.

Safadi told the Jordanian Arabic language daily Alghad that the crossing would link the Southern Jordanian port of Aqaba with the Northwestern Saudi Tabuk province.

“The Corporation is preparing the designs for the project and we expect to issue tenders in early 2024…the project will be launched in the first quarter of next year and it will be fully funded by the Corporation,” he said.

Officials said this month the project is intended to ease congestion at the existing Durrah border point.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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