Ports Main Data Administration

The Hashimate Kingdom of Jordan

Jordanian Ports Association - Aqaba Port Operating Member

General Manager Mr. Awad El-Maayta

Historical Overview of the Port

Aqaba Port is located on the northern east of Aqaba Gulf, which is a part of the Red Sea, whose length is estimated by 1930 kilometers and width of 360 kilometers and its depth reaches 2000 meters. In its northern region, it branches into two parts forming the Suez Gulf and Aqaba Gulf known for its deep waters. On its southern part, it narrows to form Bab El-Mandab to reach 26 kilometers.

The Jordanian coast extends from the north of Aqaba gulf to the south until the Saudi borders with a length of 26 kilometers. Aqaba port is characterized by its strategic location in the middle of the three continents (Asia, Europe and Africa). It is also characterized by being the only port for Jordan. Aqaba port is connected to a modern roads and transportation network with all Jordanian provinces and neighboring countries. In 1952, Aqaba port was established after issuing the High Royal Diktat will for the purpose of establishing, developing and maintaining berths and warehouses, in addition to handling and storing cargo from/to vessels and in warehouses and port yards and two ports for bunkering and trade.

Port Characteristics

• Nowadays, 78% of the total Jordanian exports are exported and import 65% of the total Jordanian imports through the port.
• The total area of Aqaba port is estimated by 2 million m². The water area forms 0.4 million m² and the land area forms 1.7 million square meters, on which multi-purpose port facilities.
• The length of operating berths is estimated 3750 meters vertically of 29 berths according to the nature of use. The storing yards in the port were organized in a way serving all kinds of cargo, as there are yards for storing different cargo with the capacity of 160 thousand tons, in addition to other vehicles storing yards with the capacity of 7300 vehicles and container yards with the capacity of 18 thousand TEUs and a yard for reefer containers providing electrical outlets allowing to connect 371 reefer containers with light towers to allow operation around the clock.
• These yards are divided into logistic and storing yards. In addition, these yards were designed according to the best international standards. It is characterized by being near berths thus,cargo is handled in the least possible time. These yards are divided into normal storing warehouses, specialized warehouses as hazardous warehouses. There is also a laboratory to inspect foods and cisterns for grains with the capacity of 125 thousand tons. It is equipped state of the art devices and automatic discharging.
• In addition, it has phosphate warehouses with a capacity of 410 thousand tons. The phosphate berths can accommodate two vessels at the same time.
• The productivity in Aqaba port is estimated by 28 million tons annually. It will be developed with the modernization, which is currently underway. Aqaba port has witnessed a steady increase in the volume of handled imported and exported handled cargo through Aqaba port, in general. It has reached more than 20 million tons in 2005 for the second year successively compared to 17.8 million tons in 2003. The volume of containers handled in 2005 has reached 391 thousand TEUs presenting an increase of 9% than last year. These numbers are unprecedented and were not achieved since the establishment of the port.

Developing Aqaba Port

The port administration aims at developing the port through investment balance for 2006, which is estimated by 18 million dinars financed by Aqaba development Company, which includes a number of projects, the most important of which is establishing and maintaining berths and purchasing new equipments for cargo handling.

In addition, it has projects which are currently executed by the association, including maintaining berths 3-6 with the cost of million dinars. The project of phosphate berth 2 is with a cost of 400 thousand dinars and transforming the bid to purchase 20 crane with a capacity of 5 tons with the cost of 250 thousand dinars, in addition to habilitating port entrances to comply with the international security code for vessel and port facilities.

The port works was computerized to save efforts and time to conclude the procedures aiming at the application the one-window procedures, in addition to habilitating human resources in the port, which is a strategic decision, since Man is the real investment. 569 employees and workers have been applied in specialized courses in the field of port works.

The association administration is currently affiliated to Aqaba Development Company, as several decisions have been issued aiming at improving operations in the port, such as linking administration to objectives and separating administration from ownership to open the way for several investments in the port currently and in the future.

Port Characteristics

Engineering Features

Productivity Features

Statement of the berths of Aqaba Port, its lengths, depths and tonnages in 2006

Contacts