ASEZA reaches 20-year milestone in spearheading Aqaba’s growth

AQABA — The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), “an investment and tourism revolution”, has attracted investment worth JD26 billion, according to ASEZA President Nayef Bakhit.

During the start of a three-day media tour on Friday on the occasion of its 20th anniversary of establishment, Bakhit said: “ASEZA is a translation of a royal vision full of achievements.”

ASEZA organised the media tour, in cooperation with the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), to follow up on the development, achievements and new investments in the port city.

On Saturday, journalists were briefed on the area of the Great Arab Revolt Plaza, one of the most important sites on the central coast closest to the city of Aqaba.

The site is currently undergoing a revamp to turn the square into “an exhibition and antiquities area”, Bakhit said.

“It will include exhibition halls and museums to showcase the port city’s history through 6,000 years, in addition to portraying bedouin life and traditional seafood in Aqaba,” he added.

Bakhit noted that Aqaba is currently witnessing the implementation of large tourism and recreational projects.

The ASEZA chief indicated that the restoration and maintenance the historic landmarks of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali’s house and the Aqaba Castle will make them a global destination.

Another important project is the Aqaba Complex for Science and Environmental Tourism, which is established upon Royal directives, he said.

The complex will consist of a marine life research centre with the aim of protecting the diverse coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba, “which are not affected by climate change”, according to Bakhit.

“This project will be both on a local and global scale, in addition to the development of the Marine Science Station. We received 3,000 euros as funding for this project from the European Union, as well as $750,000 from the International Union for Conservation of Nature for the implementation of the management plan for the marine reserve,” Bakhit said.

Bakhit emphasised that these projects are part of Jordan’s efforts to tackle climate change.

He also pointed out that there are continuous coastal clean-up campaigns with the participation of divers from the local community.

 “During the last cleaning campaign, we removed 170 tonnes of waste from the sea,” Bakhit said.

ASEZA Deputy Chief Commissioner Sharhabeel Madi indicated that the value of Aqaba’s infrastructure over the last 20 years is estimated at more than JD1billion.

“We aim to support the local community in all fields, especially education, training and rehabilitation as 800 grants were offered to the local community. The industrial cities for investors of all nationalities contributed to creating more than 30,000 job opportunities for the people of Jordan,” Madi said.

He pointed out that ASEZA was able to create logistical storage cities, which enabled Aqaba to become a transit area for goods from different countries, in addition to a system of ports.

“There are 12 ports in Aqaba today and more than 30 berths. The city also has an advanced airport which operates and receives all types of aircraft,” he added.

He highlighted that ASEZA was able to increase the number of residents in Aqaba. Before the establishment of the special zone, the city had a population of no more than 50,000 people, whereas today, it has a population of 210,000 people, he noted.

According to Madi, the number of hotel rooms has increased in Aqaba from 500 rooms to 6,000 rooms, and the port city received 560,000 tourists, 18 cruise ships, as well as 1703 cargo ships in 2021. 

The tour also included the fish market and its facilities, with a total project cost of approximately JD1.7 million, and the car-parking project, which created 1,000 new parking spots.