Ammon News - The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Aqaba Education Company signed an agreement to establish a comprehensive medical university and a private sector-owned teaching hospital, at an estimated cost of JD120 million, as Sayegh Group's stake stands at 50%.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, Bakheet said the Aqaba-based university is an investment project that supports the city's education and health sectors, in addition to attracting 60% of the student capacity from outside Jordan, particularly the neighboring countries.

The Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education agreed to license the university's project, and the owner company started its infrastructure work, he said, adding that the campus will support Aqaba's educational tourism.

Lauding the project as "pioneering," he said the university will contribute to providing trained medical and technical workforce, who will support Jordanian medical sector.

The ASEZA, he said, offers "important" advantages to investors, primarily financial incentives, exemptions and banking facilities.

Representative of Sayegh Group, Michelle Sayegh, said the university's owner, Aqaba Company for Medical Sciences, started all legal procedures, adding that bids are ready to be tendered and start work.

The owning company, he said, has prepared a plan to complete the university in June 2022, adding that students will begin to be enrolled September next year.

For his part, Dr. Osama Madi, who signed the agreement on behalf of Aqaba Education Company, said the university will host a teaching hospital with a 200- bed capacity, which would in total provide about 1,000 jobs for the local community.