Aqaba witnessed 118% rise in arrival of tourist ships — navigation syndicate

AMMAN — The total volume of inbound and outbound cargo handled in 2021 through the Aqaba Port reached 19.5 million tonnes, Secretary General of the Jordan Navigation Syndicate (JNS) Mohammad Dalabih said on Sunday. 

Dalabih told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the merchandise varied between solid and fluids, general goods and vehicles, stressing that last year’s handling rates are promising despite the hikes in international freight prices, lack of ships and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He noted that handling rates for goods like phosphate, potash, grains, fertilisers, sulphur and coal increased by 7 per cent to 12 million tonnes in 2021 compared with 2020 that recorded 11.2 million tonnes. 

Meanwhile, the secretary general said that 1,843 ships were docked at the Aqaba port in 2021, marking an increase of 17 per cent compared with 2020 when the Aqaba port received 1,580 ships. 

The number of passengers through Aqaba-Nuweibi increased by 244 per cent to 230,000 in 2021, after the Arab Bridge Maritime allowed the movement of passengers, Dalabih added. 

He also noted that the number of tourist ships increased from 11,000 in 2020 to 24,000 in 2021, marking an increase of 118 per cent thanks to the easing of pandemic restrictions and allowing tourist ships to enter the port in the fourth quarter of 2021.