King Abdullah of Jordan met with representatives from Aqaba, one of the country’s 12 governorates, to set an agenda for the future.
During this meeting, which took place on 2 January, His Majesty asked the Government of Jordan to freeze the tax on kerosene throughout the winter in order to help the population weather the threats of crisis that arose from a global increase and wide fluctuation of energy prices.
Speaking on issues more closely related to the area, the King pointed out the importance for Aqaba to implement a thorough modernisation project in 2023 that includes politics, economics and administrative processes.
The area could also serve as a launching pad for the expansion of the country’s tourism market, given its geographical proximity to the capital Amman and the natural beauties that belong to it. For that, the King called for the completion of several projects, including healthcare facilities, the construction of a desalination plant for water and, most importantly for the tourism sector, the expansion projects for both the airport and the port.
Another sector that would increase the quality of life for residents would be an investment in an enhancement of the agricultural sector, as well as the production of renewable energy through solar.
The royals of Jordan have been working tirelessly to improve the country’s access to technology and to leverage its status as the only stable country in the area to make it a tech hub, so it was no surprise that King Abdullah chose to emphasise the choice of Aqaba as the international point of convergence for Google’s submarine cable project, which should link Asia, Europe and Africa.
And finally, King Abdullah spoke of the need to create better opportunities for the youth of the area, including the development of schools in all grades, the expansion of offerings from the local branch of the University of Jordan and the establishment of a medical university, which, in the long run, is an investment both for the life of the local population and the aforementioned plans for the tourism sector.
The Prime Minister then said that projects were already kickstarted to tackle all the issues that His Majesty had mentioned and that the government would immediately suspend the tax on kerosene according to the King’s directory. He also stated that they would cap the price of kerosene, meaning that the price would not increase for the public even if it increases on the global market, and that, if said price decreases on the global market, it would also decrease in the country.
Finally, it was the turn of the Court’s Chief, who said that royal spending on development projects in the Aqaba governorate alone has reached approximately ten million Jordanian Dinar (roughly 14 million USD) and that the next project will be the establishment of a deaf community.
