Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki on Sunday joined a session, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, that was dedicated to re-launch the southern port city of Aqaba as a major destination for investments and tourism in addition to announcing the Aqaba Special Economic Zone s strategic objectives for 2025.
The prime minister said his government is committed to supporting the southern city to lure in more investments that uplift living status and bolster the national economy. He noted that Aqaba evolved in the past 20 years from a coastal town of 50,000 people to a major city with world-class infrastructure and port.
Al-Mulki indicated that tourism was booming in the city with multi-billion-dollar resorts, hotels and marinas. He pointed out that a comprehensive plan for the development of ports will be implemented in 2018 instead of 2030 as previously planned, so that the economic zone can meet an increasing demand expected in the near future.
The prime minister also patronized the signing ceremony of an agreement to establish a new industrial zone at an area of one million square meters in Al Quwaira region near Aqaba, in partnership between the Aqaba International Industrial Estate and China s Shenzhen Chamber of Investment.
The project will be implemented in 4 phases, during which 300,000 square meters will be completed at each phase. The industrial zone of Quwaira will allow the sale or lease of long-term contracts for industrial storage, logistics and light and medium industries.