Aqaba seeks private partner for bulk terminal before Aug. 17 deadline

Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation is seeking private-sector bids to rehabilitate, modernize, finance and operate existing port assets at Aqaba, with proposals due Monday, August 17, 2026, at 2 p.m. Jordan local time.

The active procurement, Tender No. 27/A/2026, is not an award or construction approval. It is a request for proposals under a 20-year Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer, or DFBOT, concession. A five-year extension may be possible, subject to ADC approval and the final concession terms.

The tender covers the existing Cement Terminal facilities and the Mut’ah Floating Berth at the Port of Aqaba. The selected private partner would be responsible for rehabilitating and integrating marine and terminal infrastructure, adding operational and support facilities, upgrading utilities and transport links, and installing modern cargo-handling and ship-loading systems.

Silica exports are the immediate focus

ADC says the upgraded terminal would primarily support silica exports while retaining flexibility to handle multipurpose cargo in the future. Government investment materials identify the project at Aqaba Middle Port and describe an identified potential silica-export demand range of 3.8 million to 10 million tonnes, depending on the availability of a dedicated bulk-export facility.

That range is an indicated market opportunity, not a guaranteed throughput forecast or confirmed customer commitment. The tender records do not establish a final project cost, financing package, construction timetable, environmental approval, selected operator or jobs impact.

What bidders must submit

Interested firms must submit technical and financial proposals separately through the specified electronic process. The tender requires a 100,000 Jordanian dinar bid bond, and the procurement documents include a mandatory site-visit requirement for participants.

The immediate milestone is the proposal deadline: submissions must be made by 2 p.m. Jordan local time on August 17. ADC’s active-tenders listing identifies Tender No. 27/A/2026 as published June 9, 2026, and still open. A bid deadline should not be confused with a preferred-bidder announcement or concession award.

Why Aqaba is pursuing the project now

Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city and the country’s principal maritime gateway. The Jordan News Agency, citing data from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and ADC, reported that Aqaba’s ports and logistics facilities handled 13.3 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, up 12% from the same period a year earlier. Cargo volumes at the Multi-Purpose Port rose 61% year over year to 3.58 million tonnes.

ASEZA also held a July coordination meeting with government agencies and transport and logistics companies to discuss trade flows, supply chains, cargo handling and inland transport. That activity provides context for the procurement, but it does not prove that the proposed terminal will reach any particular cargo volume.

What happens next

ADC’s immediate task is to receive and evaluate proposals. Later decisions would be expected on a preferred bidder, concession award, financing and implementation. Until those steps occur, the project remains a procurement opportunity rather than a confirmed investment or operating change.

For shippers and bulk-export businesses, a successful concession could eventually improve cargo-handling options at Aqaba. No immediate change to port operations has been announced.

ADC previously sought expressions of interest for an Aqaba bulk terminal focused on silica. The 2026 tender is a later and more specific procurement stage, offering a concession structure and defined rehabilitation and operating responsibilities.

Sources

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