Aqaba, May 30 (Petra) - The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) announced today, Saturday, that the coastal city of Aqaba and the Wadi Rum protected area registered a record-breaking influx of 136,546 visitors during the joint 80th Independence Day and Eid Al-Adha holiday frame, underscoring Aqaba’s growing position as a premier regional tourism and economic hub.

ASEZA Chief Commissioner Shadi Ramzi Al-Majali stated that hotel occupancy rates across all hospitality tiers hit a maximum capacity of 100 percent during the second and third days of Eid, maintaining a 96 percent aggregate occupancy rate throughout the extended holiday weekend. Al-Majali noted that this unprecedented volume demonstrates strong consumer confidence in Aqaba's hospitality sector and the high demand for its diverse tourism products.

The surge in visitor volume generated significant commercial momentum across trade, tourism, and hospitality services, driven by national milestone celebrations alongside an array of entertainment fixtures during the "Amwaj Aqaba" (Aqaba Waves) Festival. Al-Majali highlighted that this exceptional foot traffic translated directly into increased retail sales and transactional volume across commercial markets, shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and entertainment complexes, lifting general economic output and tourist expenditure.

Al-Majali added that downtown districts and public squares underwent comprehensive cosmetic updates and decorative styling prior to the national and religious holidays, enriching the destination’s aesthetic appeal and general visitor experience. He highly praised the local community for its hospitality, cooperation, and civic engagement, which played an essential role in driving the season's operational success and securing high visitor satisfaction benchmarks.

ASEZA's recent infrastructure assets, public beach upgrades, and recreational facility modernizations expanded the city’s capacity to handle the record crowds safely and efficiently. Al-Majali concluded that this successful performance was the direct result of integrated operational, organizational, and logistics plans executed alongside the Governorate of Aqaba and public-private sector stakeholders. This coordinated approach sustained high service-delivery standards and provided an economic lift to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and frontline service personnel throughout the zone.

//Petra// AA