Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour laid on Monday laid the foundation stone for three tourism projects at the Dead Sea Development Zone. The projects involve a total investment of JD1 billion.

Ensour laid the foundation stone for the Porto Dead Sea project, a JD800 million venture of the Egyptian Amer Group. He also laid foundation stones for the Sweimah Corniche Project and the Amwaj Dead Sea Project, both with a total investment of $40 million by an Iraqi investor.

The Amwaj Dead Sea project includes the establishment of a hotel and a tourism resort on the north eastern shores of the Dead Sea. The 30-dunum facility will have 200 rooms and suites in addition to 50 chalets.

The prime minister said these projects will reflect positively on the national economy as they are considered among the mega projects in Jordan's history.

The government, Ensour added, was ready to provide all facilities and incentives to attract investments and ensure their success due to their role in boosting the economy, developing local communities and creating job opportunities.

He called for further enhancing tourism cooperation between Jordan and Egypt and implementing joint tourism projects as both countries enjoy strong ties.

The Chairman of the Amer Group, Mansour Amer, voiced the hope that the group would be able to achieve a qualitative leap in the Kingdom's tourism sector in general and the Dead Sea in particular.

He said the Proto Dead Sea Project will provide 8,000 job opportunities for Jordanians, adding that the first phase will start once the necessary licenses are ready.

The project will be the first integrated tourism city off the hilly area overlooking the Dead Sea. It will be established on an area of 800,000 square meters and will include, in addition to the hotel, thousands of hotel apartments, 20 restaurants, international cafe, trade and medical centers and other tourism facilities.

With the prime minister present, Minister of Education Mohammad Thneibat and chairman of the Amer Group also signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a training facility for the Sweimah School that will train students to work in the tourism market.

*Petra