Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan's new port at Aqaba, on the Red Sea, will become operational in May, the authorities of the Special Economic Zone Aseza said on Tuesday.

Aseza chief Nasser Shraideh said that the new port represents a leap forward in terms of the quality, versatility and speed of cargo movement, allowing the country to compete with the other major Red Sea ports. The 250-million-dollar project has involved construction of 12 terminals capable of handling different kinds of liquids including oil and the doubling of the capacity of the grain silos to 16,000 tonnes. UAE company Marsa Zayed will transform the old port into a tourist and cultural site. The Jordanian authorities have transformed Aqaba into a special economic area in order to stimulate a stagnant economy and an intersection for imports from various neighbouring countries, particularly Iraq. The local authorities in Aqaba hope to attract up to 25 billion dollars in investment by the end of 2025.

*ANSA