Amman, April 6 (Petra) -- Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on Monday conducted a field tour of the Dead Sea Development Zone to review infrastructure readiness and streamline operations for a project pipeline valued at approximately JD875.25 million ($1.23 billion).

Accompanied by Sakher Al-Ajlouni, Chairman of the Jordan Free and Development Zones Group (JFDZ), the minister met with investors to address operational and financing hurdles. The development zone currently hosts 20 active projects, with another nine in the planning and construction phases.

The tour included inspections of the Fal Arabia Hotels and Resorts project, the Onyx development, and several tourism sites, including Wadi Mukheiris, Wadi Al-Dardour, and the Zarqa Ma’in and hot springs areas.

Abu Ghazaleh emphasized the strategic importance of the Dead Sea as a premier global destination, noting that existing projects currently provide roughly 3,100 jobs. He stressed that further development must directly benefit local communities through expanded employment opportunities and economic growth.

The minister revealed that the government has successfully recovered approximately 390 dunums (96 acres) of land from developers who failed to meet investment timelines or utilize the plots effectively. This land will be reallocated to new investment projects to stimulate economic activity.

Work is currently underway to update the region’s master plan based on modern technical studies. The revised plan aims to diversify Jordan’s tourism offerings by leveraging the unique therapeutic properties of the Dead Sea and nearby thermal springs to attract both domestic and international visitors.

Al-Ajlouni praised the ongoing coordination with the Ministry of Investment, noting that recent cooperation has accelerated project implementation and improved the overall business climate. He added that the development group is working to modernize the visual identity of the Dead Sea entrance and find practical solutions to the unique geographical challenges of the area to enhance its appeal as an integrated investment hub.

//Petra// AF