Jordan Phosphate Mines
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Jordanian mining and chemicals company focused on phosphate extraction, fertilizer production, and related industrial chemicals.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Jordan Phosphate Mines (JPMC) is a Jordanian mining and industrial chemicals company headquartered in Amman. It is the only phosphate-mining company in Jordan and is a major participant in the country's extractive and fertilizer industries. Its business combines the extraction and beneficiation of phosphate rock with downstream chemical manufacturing, allowing the company to supply both a mined commodity and processed products used in agriculture and other industries. JPMC was founded in 1949 and developed its mining operations across several phosphate-bearing regions of Jordan. Its operating footprint has included facilities at Russeifa, Al Hassa, Al-Abiad, and Eshidiya. Russeifa, located north of Amman, is the oldest of these mining areas and began operating before the company's founding. Al Hassa and Al-Abiad, south of Amman, began operations in 1962 and 1979 respectively, while the Eshidiya mine, northeast of Aqaba, began operating in 1989. The company has operated three principal mining facilities and has described Jordan as having extensive phosphate deposits at economically workable depths. The company expanded downstream in 1986 by acquiring the Jordan Fertilizer Company. JPMC had previously held a minority stake in that business and subsequently took full ownership. The acquisition brought an industrial complex at Aqaba into JPMC's operations and strengthened its ability to convert phosphate feedstock into higher-value chemicals and fertilizers. Products associated with the Aqaba complex include phosphoric acid, diammonium phosphate, sulfuric acid, and aluminum fluoride. These materials serve agricultural, industrial, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, detergent, and food-related applications. International partnerships have been central to JPMC's commercial model. In 2007, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, commonly known as IFFCO. The relationship was renewed in 2013 with an annual commitment involving two million tonnes of phosphate supply. India was already taking a substantial share of JPMC's production by the time IFFCO and Indian Potash Limited acquired a combined 37 percent interest in JPMC from the Brunei Investment Agency in 2018. JPMC has also participated in Indo-Jordan Chemicals, Nippon Jordan Fertilizer Company, and PT Petro Jordan Abadi, with partners from India, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Indonesia. JPMC has periodically faced the financial pressures common to commodity producers. In the first half of 2014, it reported a net loss attributed principally to weaker phosphate prices and higher fuel costs. The company raised JD82.5 million in April 2016, and in 2017 signed an agreement framework with Bangladesh covering the supply of phosphate and phosphoric acid over three years. These developments reflected efforts to secure capital, maintain export relationships, and broaden downstream and international business. The company is publicly traded on the Amman Stock Exchange under the symbol JOPH. It remains an important Jordanian industrial enterprise, linking domestic mineral resources with export-oriented fertilizer and chemical production. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current chief executive, detailed ownership structure beyond reported strategic stakes, or a current official website URL; those fields are therefore left unspecified.
History
Jordan Phosphate Mines was founded in 1949 to develop Jordan's phosphate resources and has since become the country's only phosphate-mining company. Its history is tied to the expansion of Jordan's extractive sector and to the development of export-oriented fertilizer and chemical manufacturing. Although the Russeifa phosphate area began operating in 1935, before JPMC was founded, the company later built or operated a broader network of mines in different parts of the country. The principal mining areas associated with JPMC include Russeifa, Al Hassa, Al-Abiad, and Eshidiya. Russeifa is located roughly 15 kilometres north of Amman. Al Hassa and Al-Abiad are approximately 135 kilometres south of Amman and began operations in 1962 and 1979. Eshidiya, approximately 125 kilometres northeast of Aqaba, began operating in 1989. These sites gave JPMC access to multiple phosphate deposits and supported the company's role as a large-scale producer for both domestic processing and export markets. A major turning point came in 1986, when JPMC acquired the Jordan Fertilizer Company. JPMC had already controlled 25 percent of the fertilizer company before purchasing the remainder. The transaction brought the Jordan Fertilizer Company's chemical and fertilizer complex at Aqaba into JPMC's ownership and expanded the company's activities beyond mining. The Aqaba complex became the base for the production of phosphoric acid, diammonium phosphate, sulfuric acid, and aluminum fluoride. These products serve fertilizer manufacturing as well as applications involving detergents, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum, ceramics, and other industrial processes. JPMC subsequently pursued international partnerships and long-term supply relationships. In 2007, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, one of India's largest fertilizer organizations. The partnership was renewed in 2013 for one year and included a commitment for JPMC to supply two million tonnes of phosphate. India became a particularly important market, taking around 60 percent of JPMC's production by the time Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative and Indian Potash Limited purchased a combined 37 percent stake in the company in 2018. The shares were acquired from the Brunei Investment Agency for a reported $130 million. The company also developed joint ventures in downstream chemicals and fertilizers. Indo-Jordan Chemicals was established with Southern Petrochemical Industries of India and the Arab Investment Company of Saudi Arabia. Nippon Jordan Fertilizer Company involved JPMC, the Arab Potash Company, and Japanese partners including ZEN-NOH, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Chemical, and Asahi Kasei. PT Petro Jordan Abadi connected JPMC with Indonesia's Petrokimia Gresik. These ventures broadened its industrial reach and linked Jordanian phosphate resources to Asian fertilizer and chemical markets. JPMC's performance has been affected by commodity cycles and input costs. In the first half of 2014, the company reported a net loss of $9.4 million, attributed mainly to lower phosphate prices and higher fuel costs. It raised JD82.5 million in April 2016 and later agreed in 2017 to supply Bangladesh with 270,000 metric tonnes of phosphate and phosphoric acid over three years, under a memorandum reportedly valued at $280 million. The company has also been associated with a major governance and legal controversy. In June 2013, Walid Kurdi, who had served as JPMC's chief executive and was related to Jordan's royal family, was convicted of illegally profiting through his position and fined JD284 million. In 2017, JPMC sought an Interpol arrest warrant in an effort to extradite him after he had left Jordan. Current operational leadership and a detailed contemporary ownership profile are not established by the supplied reference material. JPMC remains listed on the Amman Stock Exchange under the symbol JOPH.
- 2018
Indian investors acquire a strategic stake
[1]IFFCO and Indian Potash Limited acquired a combined 37 percent stake in JPMC from the Brunei Investment Agency.
- 2017
Bangladesh supply memorandum
[1]JPMC agreed in principle to supply Bangladesh with phosphate and phosphoric acid over three years.
- 2016
Capital raise
[1]JPMC raised JD82.5 million in April.
- 2013
IFFCO supply partnership renewed
[1]The IFFCO relationship was renewed with a reported commitment involving two million tonnes of phosphate supply in a year.
- 2007
Partnership memorandum with IFFCO
[1]JPMC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative.
- 1989
Eshidiya mining begins
[1]Mining began at Eshidiya, one of JPMC's major phosphate-producing areas.
- 1986
Jordan Fertilizer Company acquired
[1]JPMC completed the acquisition of Jordan Fertilizer Company, including its Aqaba chemical and fertilizer complex.
- 1979
Al-Abiad mining begins
[1]The Al-Abiad mining area began operating south of Amman.
- 1962
Al Hassa mining begins
[1]Mining operations began at Al Hassa, south of Amman.
- 1949
Jordan Phosphate Mines is founded
[1]JPMC was established as a Jordanian phosphate-mining company.
Products and positioning
An integrated Jordanian phosphate producer combining domestic mining assets, fertilizer and chemical processing, and international joint ventures and supply relationships.
Mining product
Phosphate rock
Phosphate rock is JPMC's core mined output. It is extracted from Jordanian deposits and supplied for export or used as feedstock in downstream fertilizer and chemical production.
Industrial chemical
Phosphoric acid
Produced at the Aqaba chemical complex, phosphoric acid is an important intermediate for phosphate fertilizers. It also has uses in detergents, pharmaceuticals, steel processing, and food-related applications.
Fertilizer
Diammonium phosphate
Diammonium phosphate, commonly abbreviated DAP, is a concentrated phosphate fertilizer manufactured from processed phosphate inputs. It supplies plant nutrients and is part of JPMC's downstream fertilizer portfolio.
Industrial chemical
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is produced as part of the Aqaba industrial complex's chemical operations. In phosphate processing, it is used to convert phosphate rock into intermediates for fertilizer manufacturing, while also serving broader industrial applications.
Industrial chemical
Aluminum fluoride
Aluminum fluoride is an Aqaba-produced chemical used as a catalyst or process material in aluminum and magnesium production. It also has applications in ceramic glazes.
Controversies
2017
Interpol request concerning former executive
JPMC sought an Interpol arrest warrant to support the extradition of Walid Kurdi, who had reportedly left Jordan after the conviction.
2013
Walid Kurdi profiteering conviction
Walid Kurdi, a former JPMC chief executive and relative of Jordan's king, was convicted of illegally profiting through his position at the company and was fined JD284 million.
Brand decisions
2018
Sell a 37 percent stake to Indian fertilizer companiesM&ABackground
JPMC had an established commercial relationship with Indian fertilizer buyers, and India was receiving a substantial share of its output.
Action taken
IFFCO and Indian Potash Limited acquired a combined 37 percent stake from the Brunei Investment Agency.
Aftermath
The transaction gave major Indian fertilizer organizations a strategic ownership position in JPMC.
Transaction value. $130 million (2018)
2007
Establish a strategic supply relationship with IFFCOStrategyBackground
JPMC sought to deepen access to India's large fertilizer market and secure a long-term outlet for Jordanian phosphate.
Action taken
JPMC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative.
Aftermath
The relationship was renewed in 2013 and India became a major destination for JPMC's production.
1986
Acquire Jordan Fertilizer CompanyM&ABackground
JPMC already held a 25 percent interest in Jordan Fertilizer Company and sought full control of its fertilizer and chemical manufacturing assets.
Action taken
JPMC acquired the remaining business and brought the Aqaba complex into its operations.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded JPMC from phosphate extraction into downstream fertilizer and chemical manufacturing.
Sources1 sources
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