Ammon News - The volume of cargo handled at Aqaba's new port totaled 14.6 million tons in 2020 shipped by 1,600 vessels, according to the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management.

The company's 2020 revenue amounted to JD71 million against JD73 million a year earlier, said Khaled Ma'aytah, the company acting director-general. Detailing the cargo handled, Ma'aytah indicated that it included 5.2 million tons of grain, cars, livestock and other merchandize and 4.4 million tons of crude oil.

He noted that the volume of handling at the industrial ports hit 5 million tons. Out of the total, 9.7 million tons of the cargo went to the local market while the volume of transit goods stood at 172,000. According to Ma'aytah, exports shipped through the port reached 4.7 million tons.

Speaking about passenger and tourist movement, Ma'aytah said the coronavirus pandemic had its toll on passenger activity, with the number plunging from 252,000 passengers in 2019 to only 66,000 in 2020, signaling a major drop of 73 per cent.

As for tourists, the number plummeted by 94 per cent to 10,000 tourists in 2020 against 188,000 in 2019. Furthermore, the port welcomed 11 cruise ships in the past year against 70 in 2019.