AD Ports Group has signed a Heads of Terms agreement with the Aqaba Development Corp to develop a cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed in Aqaba, Jordan.
This project will be the first facility to be developed by AD Ports in Jordan and its first cruise facility outside of the UAE.
The new terminal will serve as an Aqaba gateway that will receive cruise ship passengers visiting the Red Sea, in addition to serving as a major attraction for local residents with a wide range of tourism, commercial, and entertainment options.
Another Head of Terms agreement was signed, by which AD Ports, through its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, will manage the implementation of an advanced Ports Community System (PCS), which will oversee communications between Aqaba ports and terminals operators, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Aqaba Development Corp, Jordan Maritime Commission, customs, support services and on-land connections for the Port of Aqaba.
The agreement was signed during a visit by a Jordanian senior delegation headed by Eng Nayef Ahmad Bakheet Altheeb, Chief Commissioner, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority to Abu Dhabi and is the first of a series of strategic partnerships with AD Ports Group.
Capt Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, AD Ports Group CEO, (pictured) 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,” he said.
Hussein Alsafadi, CEO, Aqaba Development Corpo, added: “We are pleased to be joining forces with AD Ports Group with this agreement, which falls in-line with the wider co-operation between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
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.
“Developing the cruise terminal in Aqaba will significantly support the growth of the tourism sector in the Kingdom, which will expand of the scope of onsite facilities and services.
“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. This co-operation will also promote our tourism offerings, create new jobs, and strengthen Aqaba’s status as a major regional hub.
“We are confident that through our cooperation with AD Ports Group and Maqta Gateway, we will be able to keep pace with the rapid developments of digitisation in the transport and logistics sectors, as well as enhance our digital systems with the aim to provide world class services for port users in Aqaba,” he concluded.
