A 2,500-kilometre-long transport corridor from Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone to the Naseeb-Jaber border crossing between Jordan and Syria opened in December, says Dubai-based ports operator DP World.

Trucks loaded with goods departed from Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone and travelled through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon “in close collaboration with all customs authorities and customers”.

MEED understands the journey took six days, a quarter of the journey time during the height of the Syrian conflict that shut down the border.

DP World is understood to have helped establish the corridor.

Prior to the border closure, the Naseeb-Jaber crossing was one of the busiest checkpoints on the Damascus-Amman international highway. It was also the main crossing for Syrian exports to Jordan and Gulf countries.

As many as 350 commercial trucks carrying electronics, detergent, foodstuffs and cars used to enter Syria and pass through to other countries every day before rebels closed the border three years ago.

Up to 70 per cent of Jordan’s imports and exports pass through Syria. The border’s closure is said to have resulted in losses estimated at $500m to Jordan’s logistics and transport sector.

It is understood Jordanian businesses prefer the land route as exporting goods through the Naseeb crossing is three times cheaper than exporting them through the Gulf of Aqaba.

Lebanese exports to Gulf markets have also halved since rebels closed the Naseeb crossing in 2015.