News Headlines:
-Jordan Telecom to Upgrade Aqaba`s Infrastructure
-As part of ongoing projects to modernize the southern port city of Aqaba..
-International Global Education Systems will build a school in Aqaba..
-State Adviser to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on International.....
Jordan Telecom to Upgrade Aqaba`s Infrastructure
AQABA, Monday, December 6, 2004 - A memorandum of understanding was signed on
Sunday between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and Jordan Telecom for enhancing the Zone's telecommunications infrastructure. Signing on ASEZA's behalf, Chief Commissioner Nader Dahabi described the memorandum as a first step towards installing the necessary telecommunications infrastructure that would serve current and potential investors in the Kingdom's special economic zone.
During a press conference held after signing the agreement, Deputy Chief Commissioner and Commissioner for Investment and Economic Development Imad Fakhoury said ASEZA is preparing the Zone to attract investments in technology, as part of its long-term developmental plan.
He added that the close relation with Jordan Telecom under this agreement should allow both parties to work hand in hand towards achieving the desired goals of ASEZA.
"Our shared mission is to ensure that everyone in Aqaba is connected to the world with world-class telecommunications means," Jordan Telecom's CEO Laurent Mialet said.
ADSL Internet was introduced to Aqaba in 2000 to serve hotels and banks, but now the new south beach area will be connected with broadband connections, according to Jordan Telecom.
"The idea of transforming Aqaba into an e-city sounds very appealing to all parties at this point," Fakhoury remarked.
Also on Sunday, both parties signed another agreement to link Wadi Rum, which falls under the authority of ASEZA, with Internet through a JD350,000 shared project that connects the tourist-attractive desert valley with a 40-kilometre fiber optic cable that extends over 15 kilometers.
The newly-established Wadi Rum Visitor`s Centre, functioning as an organizer of all tourist activities, will be connected through this network to become linked with tourist agencies around the world, and to let tourists use its Internet facilities.
This article is reprinted from The Jordan Time
New ASEZA Projects Give Aqaba a Face-Lift
Aqaba, Monday, December 6, 2004- As part of ongoing projects to modernize the southern port city of Aqaba, construction work is expected to start soon on a new bus terminal, two commercial towers and an "old market area," adding to the numerous projects already under way.
The new projects are to be run by the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), according to its head
and ASEZA deputy chief commissioner and commissioner for investment and economic development, Imad Fakhoury.
"We are going to restructure the Aqaba Port's operations, redevelop the marina areas, enhance the cargo area and add new logistics areas at the airport," Fakhoury said, noting that these projects are now the main priority of ADC.
"The second priority is to make Aqaba an e-city, where all facilities are user-friendly for investors, inhabitants, workers and tourists," Fakhoury added.
ADC is a special task force established to act as the body in charge of Aqaba`s development. It is half owned by the government, and half by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the legal heir of both the Aqaba Region Authority and Aqaba Municipality.
Concerning current projects, Fakhoury said he expects the Intercontinental Hotel to start receiving tourists ahead of spring 2005.
"Also, two new four-star hotels are currently under construction in the suburbs of the city, while a new five-star hotel is being built in Tala Bay." "We expect this hotel to provide approximately 330 rooms which would make it the biggest hotel in Aqaba," Fakhoury said.
During the first quarter of 2005, according to ADC, work on the Aqaba lagoon project will start. Fakhoury added that two shopping malls are now open in Aqaba, with a third one expected to open in January 2005. ADC will also play a role in transforming Aqaba into a student city, with the establishment of the American University in Aqaba, due to open in 2009. ASEZA has also signed a deal with International Global Education Systems to build a new school in Aqaba at a cost of $8 million, catering mostly for children of foreign residents.
In August 2000, Parliament passed a law which established ASEZA as the statutory institution empowered with regulatory, administrative, fiscal and economic responsibilities within the ASEZ.
This article is reprinted from The Jordan Times
New School to be Built in Aqaba
DUBAI, Friday-Saturday, December 3-4, 2004 (Petra) - International Global Education Systems will build a school in Aqaba at a cost of $8 million, according to an agreement concluded in Dubai with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). Imad Fakhoury, ASEZA's Deputy Chief , signed the deal saying the school will mainly serve the educational needs of the children of foreign families living in Aqaba . He said the school would open in September 2005.
This article is reprinted from The Jordan Times
Tatarstan's State Adviser Visits Aqaba
AQABA, Friday-Saturday, December 3-4, 2004 (Petra) - State Adviser to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on International Affairs Timur Akoulov visited Aqaba on Thursday. The guest was accompanied by HE the Ambassador of Russia. The guest met with several officials of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation. Akoulov expressed admiration for Aqaba's tourist and economic privileges in addition to its nature attractions.
This article is reprinted from The Jordan Times
