Aqaba in 2014, tourism in Aqaba, Jordan, 2015

Jordan - Beshir Suleiman
In our visit to Jordan that we talked to in the previous episode had to be to go to the city of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which lies about 350 kilometers Oman and linking the two roads are desert road and through the Wadi Araba.
With the beginning of 2001 established the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, in order to attract investments and facilitate attract tourists and residents to Aqaba, which is the link to the several states, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel points. And successful efforts in the development of Aqaba on the world tourism map, and was able to compete with the main tourist areas in neighboring countries. What distinguishes it Aqaba populated area hundreds of years ago. The plans are designed to preserve the lives of the local community level and raise their level and their inclusion in the development of tourism projects.
The Aqaba, Jordan's only port, so what is needed is the diversity of activities that constitute 50% of tourism investments and services 30%, industry 20%. Since the service sector is linked to tourism, the direct and indirect tourism investments reached the limits of 75% of the total investments, which totaled $ 18 billion. As has been the provision of all the ways to enter Aqaba by land, sea and air.
Our visit to the city of Aqaba began in «Marsa Zayed», which is implemented by the crossing - Jordan, one of the international terminal of the investments of UAE companies, at a cost of up to $ 10 billion.
The project aims to develop more than three million square meters of land for the establishment of residential complexes of integrated neighborhoods and apartment towers.
It also includes the project, which will provide more than 15 thousand jobs when completed, commercial markets and recreational facilities, hotels and tourist resorts and Business Parks waterfront has a length of 2 km in a circular marina area and surrounded by towers of residential and tourist facilities that contain the port and marinas and boat tourism ».
The international terminal investment company, which is based in Abu Dhabi-based, announced on February 26, 2009 Marsa Zayed project, which carries the name of the late UAE President Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan. Jordan was announced in April 2008 signing of an agreement with the company «international crossing» to develop the port of Aqaba, the current site after the transfer of the only port in the south of the Kingdom at a cost of about five billion dollars.
Under the agreement, the port will be moved to the new location in the southern region of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, with a main port and the surrounding area, an area of ​​about 3200 acres. And will be set up port capacity of 500 boat tour and 3000 hotel rooms of the 5-star and 20 thousand apartments and villas, and the first phase of the project ends in 2014.
Saraya Aqaba
It is the largest projects in the city of Aqaba Saraya project - Aqaba, which is implemented and invest Saudi Oger, and will include hotels from 5-star (5000 rooms) and villas, a convention center and areas of water games and artificial lakes and waterways intervention from the sea directly into the project. Since the All villas will pass in front of the canal, according to the plan, the opening will be in 2012.
A special project in Aqaba Kempinski hotel, all rooms overlooking the sea. And we followed our visit to the tourist areas, and our objective was the southern shore of the obstacle and about 10 kilometers from the borders of Saudi Arabia Itaek «Tala Bay» project distance is a global hotels and water channels surrounding villas and golf courses (being processed), and tourists can Egyptian Taba visit in the interview, as there are travel agencies organize day trips to the resort of Taba and a boat trip takes 25 minutes. It can also have lunch in the middle of the Gulf of Aqaba dedicated to this purpose and diving trips and enjoy the marine nature.
Oasis Ella
Located in Aqaba northern beach in the border area with Eilat, a Jordanian investment in full basic idea of ​​the project is to increase about 15 km from the marine beaches through water channels intervention from the sea and meander on a different project, which includes villas and golf courses and recreational areas Hotels parts, and will add 1,200 rooms on the city's hotels. The completion of the infrastructure work is scheduled to work on the project ends in 2015.
City of Aqaba, which compete with the biggest tourist centers strongly in the region, it is in addition to the facilities located on the hour and half-hour bus ride from one of the Seven Wonders of the salient (ancient city of Petra), which was founded by the Nabataeans, and know the city's rosy as just 40 minutes from Wadi Rum. Which is a popular destination essential for tourists and in which the practice of different types of activities like riding a balloon in flight over parts of the valley and climb the pink majestic mountains, accompanied by professionals climb and rental vehicles «unjust» A trip takes hours across the valley and there are also allocated to the rest of tents, dining, and other fun activities .
In Aqaba many effects such as Islamic castle which has a 500-year-old. As was finally with the help of the University of North Carolina, discovered fossils of the oldest church in the world. It also includes a protected coral There are more than 1000 species of fish, coral and tourists can dive and see the water and there is a wealth of existing schools and specialists teach diving and accompanying diver. It must be a word about Joe Aqaba is wet and the water temperature ranging between 21 and 27 degrees year-round
Infrastructure
This great development and these mega projects and accompanied by the Jordanian government in terms of infrastructure development, was established with the sea water purification station in addition to the creation of reservoirs to irrigate trees planted in various streets and squares of the city, has also been agreed with Egypt to increase the imported amount of gas through the pipeline cut off the sea floor to reach Egypt Jordan. Among the projects carried out the bulk of which ring project, which serves the southern shore of Cassidy obstacle to allow them access to the deployed in the south coast resorts without traffic in the heart of the city. The Aqaba found a solution to the problem experienced by most Arab cities, Vaahnat flying to Aqaba commercial port which works to transfer to the south near the border with Saudi Arabia, do not enter the city but pass through its own way without the events of Traffic and traffic jams annoy and confuse residents and visitors.
Incentives for tourism
We learned during our visit that the relevant authorities provide incentives to any airline landing at King Hussein International Airport, which provide 50% discount on the ground handling services, in addition to providing any tourist office is attracting tourists from the airport through financial support and can support up to 50 000 euros per year for each office is attracting tourist planes to Aqaba airport.
The airport authorities, which applies an open skies policy, which currently receives one regular day trip for «RJ» and a number of charter flights «charter» reached the 1080 trip in 2009, mostly for the European aircraft. Conducting talks with the companies «Fly Dubai» and «Arab» to do scheduled flights to the King Hussein Airport.
Brand Aqaba
The Aqaba Zone Authority to market the city as «Brand» its own, and in the way it was implemented a number of measures, Vsearh taxi color green (environmentally friendly) and the bus worker in the city was designed appropriately for the environment and the issue of power Arab magazines and English especially in the city in addition to the Internet site special B-12 is a universal language, in short, the authority did not leave Aqaba marketing tool only available and applied.