AD Ports Group, ADC sign agreement for tourism, maritime enhancement projects

AMMAN — AD Ports Group, a leading facilitator of trade and logistics, has signed a Heads of Terms agreement with the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) that will see AD Ports Group take on the establishment of a state-of-the-art cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed in Aqaba.

It will be the first facility developed by AD Ports Group in Jordan and its first cruise facility outside the UAE, according to a statement posted on the AD Ports website.

The new terminal will serve as a gateway to the Port of Aqaba that will receive cruise ships passengers visiting the Red Sea, in addition to serving as a major attraction for the residents of Aqaba with a wide range of tourism, commercial, and entertainment services.

A further Head of Terms agreement was also signed, stating that AD Ports Group, through its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, will manage the implementation of an advanced Ports Community System (PCS). This system will oversee communication among Aqaba ports and terminals operators, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Aqaba Development Corporation, Jordan Maritime Commission, customs, support services and on-land connections for the Port of Aqaba, the statement said.

Leveraging its extensive expertise as a global facilitator of trade and logistics, AD Ports Group will work closely with the Aqaba Development Corporation to deploy the digital system, expanding the technical capacity and capabilities of Aqaba ports.

The agreement was signed during a visit by a senior delegation from Jordan headed by Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Nayef Ahmad Bakheet Altheeb to Abu Dhabi. This agreement is the first of a series of strategic partnerships with AD Ports Group.

Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, the group CEO of AD Ports Group, said: “We are pleased and proud to sign this strategic agreement with the Aqaba Development Corporation. The creation and operation of a new cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed will be a milestone for Jordan’s fast-growing cruise and tourism sector and is the first of many enhancement projects that we have planned.

“In addition, as part of our continued commitment to support the growth of Jordan’s maritime industry, AD Ports Group, through its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, is leveraging its digital expertise to implement a robust port community system at the Aqaba ports ecosystem that will accelerate the exchange of goods and elevate commerce to new heights.”

Hussein Alsafadi, the CEO of the Aqaba Development Corporation, said: “We are pleased to be joining forces with AD Ports Group with this agreement that falls in line with the wider cooperation between Jordan and the UAE. Through their ambitious development of ports in Abu Dhabi and around the world, they have demonstrated their ambition and ability to evolve and drive growth in the maritime sector.”

“It will also facilitate the movement of cruise ship passengers arriving from countries across the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, who typically visit the Golden Triangle of Jordan. Stretching from the desert landscape of Wadi Rum to the sandy beaches of Aqaba and the ancient city of Petra, the Golden Triangle is considered by many to be among the top tourism destinations within Jordan.”