ASEZA moves ahead ‘with focus on investment, tourism’

AMMAN — Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nasser Shraideh said that His Majesty King Abdullah praised the authority’s achievements and its strategy to enhance economy, tourism and trade during his recent visit to Aqaba, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Shraideh said that the authority has policies, programmes and projects that enable it to achieve the strategy which will extend until 2025. 

The strategy, which is based along three main pillars which are investment, tourism and trade, seeks to attract new investments worth $10 billion. 

He stressed that
ASEZA was able to achieve around $10 billion investments in a number of major projects in the port city and the same value through other investments under implementation.

Shraideh said that the authority aims to provide new job opportunities, underlining that the ASEZA created almost 1,500 job opportunities last year, and plans to offer 10,000 opportunities by 2020 and 20,000 by 2025. 

The chief commissioner said that ASEZA is focusing on attracting more investments to create an added value for the economic model of Aqaba, through the transfer of knowledge and technology, opening to new foreign markets and the creation of a network of investors.

In 2017, the authority attracted 268 registered establishments with a capital estimated at JD491 million.

He pointed out that an agreement was signed with Manaseer Group for the establishment of an industrial city in the southern industrial zone on an area of 900 dunums including 14 factories and desalination plants for sea water, as well as signing an agreement with China’s Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce and the International Industrial City of Aqaba to establish an industrial city in Qweira district.

Shraideh pointed out that the number of hotel guests in Aqaba increased by 13 per cent in 2017, reaching 640,000 visitors, compared to 567 thousand visitors in 2016, while the number of hotel rooms increased by 15 per cent, going from 4,000 in 2016 to about 4,600 rooms this year.

He added that 38 cruise ships came to the port city, with about 55,000 tourists on board.