Amman, July 26 (Petra) – Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday called for intensified coordination among all relevant stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of economic, development and tourism projects in Aqaba, while continuing to empower the private sector and create an enabling environment for investment.

Chairing a meeting at the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), Hassan said the pace of development in Aqaba reflects the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II and the close follow-up of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. He stressed the importance of building on that momentum to capitalize on investment opportunities and advance the goals of the Economic Modernization Vision.

The prime minister described Aqaba as the cornerstone of several strategic national projects in the water, energy, transport and railway sectors, noting that the National Water Carrier and Railway projects are expected to enter the implementation phase in the coming months after extensive government efforts to bring them to fruition.

He also underscored the need to accelerate the expansion and modernization of Aqaba's ports and logistics services, including shipping and storage facilities, to strengthen their regional competitiveness. Hassan further emphasized the importance of developing public beaches and expanding tourism events and programs to promote Aqaba as a destination for domestic and international visitors.

The meeting, attended by the ministers of transport, energy, and state for economic affairs, as well as the chairperson and senior officials of the Aqaba Development Corporation, reviewed the progress of the corporation's economic, investment and development projects.

It followed Hassan's inauguration of the natural gas stations in Quweira Industrial City and Aqaba's Southern Industrial Zone, the laying of the foundation stone for the Onshore Gasification Unit, and his visit to the Aqaba Marine Reserve.

During the meeting, Hassan highlighted the strategic importance of the gas projects in supporting national industries and enhancing their competitiveness. He said the projects form part of the government's plan to expand the supply of natural gas to industrial cities and zones across the Kingdom, reducing industrial energy costs by 35% to 60%.

The prime minister praised efforts to strengthen Aqaba's role as an economic, development, tourism and logistics hub at both the national and regional levels, while stressing that further work is needed to deliver high-quality projects and achieve tangible results.

CEO of the ADC Hussein Safadi briefed the prime minister on the corporation's current and future projects across the logistics, ports, real estate and transport sectors, as well as its role as the investment and development arm of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority in implementing projects aligned with the Economic Modernization Vision.

Safadi said the corporation recently completed several strategic projects and signed multiple agreements and partnerships with local and international private-sector investors in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and Quweira Industrial City to attract investment and strengthen Aqaba's economic, tourism and investment profile.

He also reviewed the corporation's role in managing and overseeing Aqaba's port system in coordination with government agencies and the Ministry of Transport to ensure efficient port operations and maintain supply chains, shipping, logistics and transit trade.

//Petra// AJ