Abu Dhabi Ports to develop 'state of the art' cruise terminal in Jordan

Abu Dhabi Ports have partnered with the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) to establish a new cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed in Jordan, as part of a plan to enhance maritime and tourism sectors in the country.

The UAE port group said in a press release on Sunday that the agreement was signed during a visit by a senior delegation from Jordan and will be built in Aqaba, the kingdom's only port city.

It will be Abu Dhabi Ports' first cruise facility development project outside the UAE, the Emirati news agency WAM reported.

Jordan, which has suffered financially from the war in Syria and Covid-19, is looking to bolster its tourism infrastructure - a major source of revenue for the kingdom.

"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," says AD Ports Group CEO, Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi.

The agreement will facilitate the movement of cruise ships from Europe and the Mediterranean area.

ADC said it hopes the new port will promote tourism offerings, create new jobs, and strengthen Aqaba's status as a major regional hub.

In a separate deal, Abu Dhabi Ports' digital arm, Maqta Gateway, agreed to manage the implementation of a system to oversee communications between the Aqaba port and the terminal's operators.

Abu Dhabi Ports, who own and manage 11 ports and terminals in the UAE and Guinea, was founded in 2006 and has since played a key role in the growth of the UAE, contributing to 13.6 percent of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP growth, according to their website.

The Aqaba Development Corporation, launched in 2004, is the central development arm of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), tasked with building new infrastructure and required superstructure, expand existing utilities, and create necessary business enablers, according to their website.