AD Ports Group has announced it will establish a state-of-the-art cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed in Aqaba, Jordan, following the signing of a Heads of Terms agreement with the Aqaba Development Corporation.
It will be the first facility to be developed by AD Ports Group in Jordan and its first cruise facility outside of the United Arab Emirates.
The new terminal will serve as a gateway in the Port of Aqaba that will receive cruise ships passengers visiting the Red Sea, in addition to serving as a major attraction for the residents of Aqaba with a wide range of tourism, commercial, and entertainment services.
A further Head of Terms agreement was also signed, stating that AD Ports Group will manage the implementation of an advanced Ports Community System PCS, which will oversee communication between Aqaba ports and terminals operators, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority ASEZA, Aqaba Development Corporation, Jordan Maritime Commission, customs, support services and on-land connections for the Port of Aqaba.
Leveraging its long-standing and extensive expertise as a global facilitator of trade and logistics, AD Ports Group will work closely with the Aqaba Development Corporation to deploy the digital system to expand the technical capacity and capabilities of Aqaba ports, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The agreement was signed during a visit by a senior delegation from Jordan headed by Nayef Ahmad Bakheet Altheeb, Chief Commissioner, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority to Abu Dhabi and is the first of a series of strategic partnerships with AD Ports Group.
"The creation and operation of a new cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed will be a milestone for Jordan’s fast-growing cruise and tourism sector and is the first of many enhancement projects that we have planned,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Group CEO of AD Ports Group.
"In addition, as part of our continued commitment to support the growth of Jordan’s maritime industry, AD Ports Group is leveraging its digital expertise to implement a robust Port Community System at the Aqaba ports ecosystem that will accelerate the exchange of goods and elevate commerce to new heights."
Hussein Alsafadi, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation, said the new agreement falls in-line with the wider cooperation between Jordan and the UAE. “Through their ambitious development of ports in Abu Dhabi and around the world, they have demonstrated their ambition and ability to evolve and drive growth in the maritime sector.”
"Developing the cruise terminal in Aqaba will significantly support the growth of the tourism sector in the Kingdom, which will expand of the scope of onsite facilities and services.
"It will also facilitate the movement of cruise ship passengers arriving from countries across the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, who typically visit the Golden Triangle of Jordan.”
