Aqaba, Oct. 22 (Petra) -Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) signed 16 partnership agreements with private-sector companies and institutions on Thursday under its Creating Shared Value (CSV) project.
The agreements were signed at a ceremony attended by ASEZA Chief Commissioner Shadi Majali, board members and representatives of partner organizations and companies, according to the ASEZA statement.
Talking at the signing event, Majali said the project establishes an "institutional" framework for public-private partnerships, shifting corporate social responsibility from individual contributions toward a "collaborative" approach in which stakeholders identify community needs, develop solutions and implement projects that benefit local residents.
He added that economic development should translate into "tangible improvements" in people’s lives, noting the importance of leveraging companies’ resources and expertise to support education, training, employment, entrepreneurship, and the development of community facilities and services.
In turn, Thabet Nabulsi, ASEZA Commissioner for Tourism and Youth Affairs and head of the project’s committee, said the agreements would help align private-sector contributions with the needs of local communities.
He added that the initiative would expand companies’ contributions to education, training and youth entrepreneurship, as well as health initiatives, infrastructure development, and public parks.
Murad Bawab, ASEZA’s Head of Delivery Unit, said the initiative was developed through several stages, including raising awareness of the shared value concept, engaging companies, mapping interested stakeholders, and identifying areas of cooperation.
These efforts culminated in 16 standardized framework agreements and the preparation of a guide to managing the partnership system, he added.
Bawab noted that the model goes beyond financial contributions to include companies’ technical expertise, technology, human resources and institutional networks, enabling them to address community needs through structured partnerships.
The agreements cover companies and institutions operating across a range of sectors, including real estate and investment development, logistics and transportation, food and manufacturing industries, water, tourism and hospitality, telecommunications and technology, metal and garment manufacturing, health care, and education.
//Petra// HA
