Aqaba hosts Arab Open Fishing Championship

AMMAN — Jordanian teams on Friday won first place in the second Arab Open Fishing Championship, organised by the Royal Jordanian Marine Sports Federation in partnership with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Arab Diving and Life Saving Federation (ADLSF).

The championship, which featured teams from Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain, saw Jordan dominate the main Arabian Championship category for the largest sailfish, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Team Jordan (1) secured first place with a catch weighing 29.450 kilogrammes, while Aqaba Port Marine Services teams took second and third place with fish weighing 24.7 kilogrammes and 24.3 kilogrammes, respectively.

In the swordfish and gazelle category, Team Kuwait (1) won with a catch of 38.85 kilogrammes, followed by Team Tunisia with 35.8 kilogrammes and Team Bahrain with 30.5 kilogrammes.

Kuwaiti teams also claimed the top two spots in the total fish weight category, with weights of 49.1 kilogrammes and 23.6 kilogrammes, while the Egyptian team came in third with a total of 18.5 kilogrammes.

Also, the Silver Jubilee Open Fishing Tournament, featuring 35 local teams, saw Sea Falcons take the prize for the largest sailfish.

On the sidelines of the tournament, attended by Aqaba Governor Khaled Hajjaj and Royal Marine Sports Federation President Mohammed Maghraby, ASEZA Vice Chairman Hamzeh Hajj Hassan highlighted Aqaba's growing prominence as a host for international events, referring to its successful hosting of SOFEX Jordan 2024 and the Arab Fishing Championship.

He added that Aqaba seeks to attract more visitors by developing new tourism programmes, which will be announced soon, showcasing the "unique" offerings of the Golden Triangle region, which comprises Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum.