Jordan's Aqaba Port
Jordan's Aqaba Port
Jordan's Red Sea port of Gulf of Aqaba is Jordan's only maritime window to the world, located in the southernmost part of the kingdom and 350 kilometers from the capital Amman.
The port of Aqaba has a major tourism importance for Jordan in addition to its commercial importance, as it is the main link in the movement of trade between Jordan and the world. Jordan imports most of its oil needs through it and exports its basic raw materials, especially phosphate and potash, and the port has an area dedicated to receiving gas coming from Egypt.
In 2000, the Jordanian government declared Aqaba a special economic zone on an area of 375 square kilometers and granted it privileges related to the elimination of fees and tax reductions, and established a special commission in the city related to laws aimed at attracting tourism and commercial investments that are still controversial today.
The port also has a passenger terminal between Aqaba and the Egyptian port of Nuweiba. This route is very active due to the size of the Egyptian community in Jordan, which is estimated at 500,000, in addition to the use of Egyptians to transit to and from the Gulf countries, especially during the Hajj season.
