King inaugurates Aqaba projects

AMMAN (JT) – His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday inaugurated three five-star hotels and the Aqaba Logistics Village, which seek to leverage the status of the port city as a tourist attraction and a regional logistics centre.

The hotels – Kempinski, Radisson Blu and Mövenpick Resort Tala Bay Aqaba – will provide around 1,500 jobs. They will also help draw larger numbers of tourists to Aqaba, especially as the city has been selected as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2011.

The logistics village was implemented by the Kuwait-based Public Warehousing Company (Agility) and the Central Logistics Company (Kawar Group) on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, at a cost of around JD50 million.

Also yesterday, the King met with several Jordanian and Arab investors in the city.

During the meeting, the King stressed the need to develop methods to draw investments into the city so as to increase economic growth and launch projects that can benefit the local community as well as the national economy.

The King expressed pride in the accomplishments made despite challenges, voicing confidence in the possibility to achieve more through planned and institutionalised work.

During the meeting, also attended by HRH Prince Feisal, Royal Court Chief Nasser Lozi and the King’s Adviser Ayman Safadi, businessmen highlighted the projects achieved so far in the port city, available investment opportunities and ways to overcome obstacles.

Expressing satisfaction with the investment environment in Aqaba and its positive results, investors briefed the King on their views regarding ways to achieve progress in project execution.

Since its launch in 2001, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone has been able to draw $18 billion worth of industrial, service, hotel and education projects.

jordantimes