Abu Dhabi Ports Group to develop cruise terminal in Jordan

The terminal will be the first facility to be developed by AD Ports Group outside of the UAE

AD Ports Group has signed a Heads of Terms agreement with the Aqaba Development Corporation to establish a cruise terminal at Marsa Zayed in Aqaba.

The terminal will be the first facility to be developed by AD Ports Group, a facilitator of trade and logistics, in Jordan and its first cruise facility outside of the UAE. 

 The facility will receive cruise ship passengers visiting the Red Sea and serve as an attraction for the residents of Aqaba, offering a wide range of commercial and entertainment services.

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The agreement was signed during a visit by a senior delegation from Jordan headed by Engineer Nayef Ahmad Bakheet Altheeb, chief commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority to Abu Dhabi, and is the first of a series of strategic partnerships with AD Ports Group. 

AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: “We are pleased and proud to sign this strategic agreement with the Aqaba Development Corporation. 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.”

Aqaba Development Corporation CEO Hussein Alsafadi, added: “We’re pleased to be joining forces with AD Ports Group with this agreement which 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 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. Stretching from the desert landscape of Wadi Rum to the sandy beaches of Aqaba and the ancient city of Petra, the Golden Triangle is considered by many to be among the top tourist destinations within Jordan. This cooperation will also promote our tourism offerings, create new jobs, and strengthen Aqaba’s status as a regional cruise hub.