Aqaba, Nov. 9 (Petra) – The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) signed a memorandum of cooperation on Sunday to strengthen joint development efforts and empower youth to contribute to achieving sustainable development in the Aqaba Governorate.

The memorandum, signed under the patronage of the ASEZA Chief Commissioner Shadi Majali, seeks to unify efforts between the two institutions to support targeted groups in entrepreneurship, skills development, and community empowerment, while leveraging their respective institutional expertise in development and social work.

Nidal Awran, Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety at the ASEZA, underlined the importance of the memorandum, which stems from the ASEZA’s vision and its 2024–2028 strategic plan, particularly under the pillar of entrepreneurship and innovation in youth empowerment and local community development.

Mohammad Abu Omar, Commissioner for Economic Affairs, explained that, under the memorandum, the two sides will consult and coordinate continuously to implement joint initiatives during 2026, provide technical support and advice for projects and initiatives, leverage each party’s institutional expertise, and collaborate in identifying development opportunities in Aqaba and linking them to feasible joint projects within available resources.

For his part, Director General of the Fund, Abdul Fattah Kayed, highlighted that the memorandum marks an important step toward expanding cooperation between national institutions in community development and youth empowerment. He noted that the Fund was among the first to organize high-quality activities in Aqaba, including the e-sports summit.

//Petra// AJ