AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday was briefed on the
Aqaba strategic plan for the next five years, and stressed the importance of
working towards making Aqaba a model for modern administration, according to a
Royal Court statement.
اضافة اعلان
The
meeting — attended by HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, who has been
following up on the implementation of the plan since its launch in the first
quarter of this year — covered the outcomes of the plan in tourism,
environment, investment, industry, logistics, and capacity building.
King
Abdullah listened to a briefing by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority
(ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nayef Bakhit on mechanisms for implementing the
plan, noting that the projects it outlines will enhance tourism, industry,
education, and technology adoption in the city.
Bakhit
noted progress in implementing the tourism component of the plan, including
carrying out entertainment activities that contributed to the recovery of the
sector and increased the number of visitors, especially with the resumption of
low-cost flights.
Turning
to capacity building, the chief commissioner cited the implementation of
several vocational and technical training programs that have provided job
opportunities, adding that ASEZA is in talks with international tourism and
hospitality colleges to establish a college in Aqaba, which would allow the
city to become a regional hub in this field.
He
added that work is underway to prepare a new master plan for Aqaba, to turn it
into a smart city that attracts more investments and tourists, in accordance
with sustainable development goals.
The
King was also briefed on projects currently underway and others in the
pipeline.
Key
planned projects include establishing a medical university, a branch of the
King Hussein Cancer Centre, and shopping malls, as well as launching a training
and employability program targeting 1,000 individuals within a year.
Other
projects also include developing the transportation network in Aqaba and
connecting it to Petra and Wadi Rum while facilitating the movement of people
and goods, and the new submarine communications cables project launched by
Google, which seeks to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa, with Aqaba as the
convergence point.
Royal
Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and a number of ministers and officials
attended the meeting.
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