Khaberni - The Energy and Mineral Resources Committee in the House of Elders, chaired by Senator Engineer Farouq Al-Hiyari, held a meeting today with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Potash Company, Engineer Shahadeh Abu Hudaib, and the CEO Dr. Maen Nsour, at the headquarter of the House of Elders.
During the meeting, the committee listened to a presentation about the company's operational reality, its achievements, and an overview of the major challenges it faces along with its future plans, in addition to discussing the efforts it exerts to enhance its role in supporting the national economy and expanding the presence of its products in regional and global markets.
During the meeting, Senator Farouq Al-Hiyari affirmed the committee's appreciation for the qualitative achievements of the company in developing its operations and expanding its production scope, praising its efforts in transitioning towards high-value-added manufacturing industries, and its commitment to applying efficiency and sustainability standards at various production stages.
Al-Hiyari mentioned the committee's readiness to support the company's aspirations to expand into new production areas and reduce operating costs, indicating that this approach represents an important step in the development of the Jordanian mining sector, and enhances Jordan's position as a regional center for resource-based competitive manufacturing industries.
For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Potash Company, Engineer Shahadeh Abu Hudaib, emphasized that the company's achievements in recent years reflect an institutional approach based on long-term planning and working according to a clear vision that links operational efficiency with economic and social sustainability, noting that since 2019, the company has achieved unprecedented financial and operational results which have positively reflected on its overall performance and its contribution to supporting the national economy.
Engineer Abu Hudaib explained that today, the Arab Potash Company is one of the most prominent success stories in the Jordanian industrial sector, having managed thanks to its balanced strategy, to increase its production from 2.4 million tons in 2018 to 2.84 million tons in 2024, and to enhance its exports, which contributed more than 8.6 billion dollars to the kingdom's foreign exchange reserves, in addition to its payments to the state's treasury exceeding 1.1 billion dinars.
Engineer Abu Hudaib added that, as part of its national role, the company has invested approximately 66 million dinars over the past five years in community responsibility projects, covering education, health, infrastructure, and youth empowerment across various provinces, affirming that these efforts reflect the company's commitment to local communities and the principles of sustainable development.
Engineer Abu Hudaib stated that the board of directors continues to work to enhance strategic partnerships within Jordan, especially with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and the Jordan Bromine Company, to develop new manufacturing industries that contribute to increasing the added value of national industries, thereby cementing the Arab Potash Company's status as one of the main pillars of the Jordanian economy.
Dr. Maen Nsour, CEO of the Arab Potash Company, clarified that the company is steadily moving towards implementing its expansion plans for the upcoming phase, which include capital investments exceeding 3 billion dollars during the period 2025–2034, aiming to increase production capacity to around 3.7 million tons annually and enhance the company's competitive ability in global markets.
Dr. Nsour detailed that the major ongoing projects include the south expansion project, which is the largest in the company's history with an estimated cost of 1.1 billion dollars, aiming to construct a new cold crystallization plant with a production capacity of 1 million tons of high-purity potash, in addition to a modern granular potash production plant. He noted that the company has completed the first phase of the east expansion project with a production capacity of 80,000 tons annually, with the second phase scheduled for completion in 2025 to increase production to 120,000 tons annually.
Dr. Nsour emphasized that the Arab Potash Company greatly prioritizes sustainability and the shift towards clean energy, having commenced a range of solar energy projects with a total capacity of 38 megawatts, including a project using floating cells on evaporation ponds. He pointed to the company's venture into new industrial fields that include the production of high-value fertilizers, parallel to the development of the company's Research, Development, and Innovation Center, asserting that these ambitious plans enhance the Arab Potash Company's stature as an active national partner in achieving the goals of the economic modernization vision.
In turn, the committee members praised the company's achievements during the past period and the policies it adopted to manage expenses, and continued to generate profits, expressing their appreciation for the company's contributions to achieving comprehensive economic and social development, and for shouldering many additional burdens to fulfill its commitments and responsibilities.
