Ammon News - Deputizing for Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Tawfiq Krishan Monday inaugurated a cruise ship station in Aqaba during a ceremony attended by United Arab Emirates ambassador to Jordan Sheikh Khalifa bin Muhammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan.

The ceremony coincided with the docking of the cruise ship MSC Splendida with over 2,000 tourists on board.

The new Aqaba cruise ship teminal is the first of five mega strategic ventures in the pipeline between the Abu Dhabi AD Ports Group, a world-class ports, logistics and trade operator and the Aqaba Development Company to boost the tourism, logistics and transport sectors in the port city.

Krishan and the envoy listened to a briefing by Managing Director and CEO of AD Ports Group, Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi, on the various facilities and services provided by the terminal to meet the needs of foreign tourists arriving in the Kingdom.

The opening ceremony was attended by Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) Board of Commissioners Nayef Al-Fayez, Aqaba Development Company CEO Hussein Safadi and other officials.

As part of the agreement with the Aqaba Development Company, AD Ports Group will develop, manage and operate the Cruise Ship Terminal for passengers on board cruise ships who look to visit such attractions as Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum.

More than 50 ships are scheduled to dock at the Aqaba Cruise Terminal over the next four months, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to the destination, known for its warm and sunny winter weather.

The UAE ambassador said that the cruise ship terminal is one of the fruits of cooperation and strategic partnership between his country and Jordan.