Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
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 Attract investments by creating a world class competitive business environment;
 Improve the quality of life and prosperity of the local community; and
 To ensure continuing development on the basis of transparency and efficient utilisation
of resources.
The SEZ now operates as a world class business hub and leisure destination on the Red Sea and
is a significant driver of economic development within Jordan.
Development of the SEZ
In December 1999 the Jordanian Economic Consultative Council (ECC) was established by Kind
Abdullah with the purpose of monitoring the implementation of vital socio-economic,
administrative and educational reforms. The ECC was a crucial instrument in driving
transformational institutional change within Aqaba given it was appointed directly by the King
and personally supervised by him, allowing it to bypass existing institutions within the state
such as parliament and the cabinet.
The ECC developed an integrated plan for Aqaba which was endorsed by the King in April 2000.
5.5.2 Spatial Profile
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone is situated in the Gulf of Aqaba leading to the Red Sea; the
ASEZ extends to the land borders of Israel and KSA and embraces territorial waters of Egypt,
hence providing strategic access to the regional and international markets.
The zone, acting as a regional multimodal transport hub, benefits from the proximity to the port,
airport and roadways infrastructure. The port of Aqaba, situated within the zone, has a capacity
of ~1.5 million TEU. It provides international firms access to high quality logistics, storage and
distribution infrastructure apart from providing access to skilled labour force.
The zone also benefits from its proximity to the King Hussein International Airport which
operated under the ‘open skies’ policy offering preferential incentives and rates to trading
partners. The airport has an estimated cargo handling capacity of ~400,000 tons/annum.
The zone is strategically located to serve the rest of the GCC region and is at a few hours of flying
distance from Europe, Middle East and the rest of Asia.
Proximity to a large urban centre also offers the zone a distinct advantage in terms of access to
a larger market base, access to skilled labour force and a vibrant urban setting – all important
factors in driving ASEZ’s attractiveness.