AMMAN — Aqaba has become the main gateway for neighbouring countries and Gulf states, with cargo handling at the Kingdom’s ports increasing by more than 80 per cent, Director General of the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management (ACPOM) Mahmoud Khleifat on Sunday. 

 

Khalifat said that Aqaba ports now handle Iraqi food commodities transiting through Jordan, vehicles bound for Gulf states and cargo destined for Saudi Arabia, reinforcing Aqaba’s role as a main port for neighbouring countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

He attributed the increase to coordinated efforts by state institutions to accommodate the significant rise in cargo and vessel traffic.

 

The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Aqaba Development Corporation and the government have introduced measures to facilitate the entry of foreign trucks, establish new logistics yards and accommodate increased cargo volumes.

 

Khalifat said that authorities are working to consolidate Aqaba’s role as a regional port rather than merely a transit route, particularly amid disruptions and crises in the Red Sea and the wider region, while establishing this activity as a sustainable part of the local economy.

 

He noted that increased cargo volumes have created operational challenges, particularly the need for additional storage capacity, logistics areas and land.

 

"The new strategy includes establishing additional logistics areas and allocating land to handle the large volumes of cargo arriving at the ports," he said.

 

He added that port equipment is being upgraded amid continuous 24-hour operations, with Aqaba authorities and the Aqaba Development Corporation continuing modernisation, monitoring and maintenance works.

 

Khalifat stressed that cargo handling fees have remained unchanged since 2009. He said Aqaba’s lower handling costs compared with neighbouring countries, coupled with faster operations, help reduce external costs, including vessel waiting charges of $25,000-$35,000 or more.

 

He said that the inland port project, first proposed in 2015, has become increasingly necessary to speed up cargo movement from the ports, expand storage capacity for goods bound for neighbouring countries and enable the ports to receive more vessels.

 

Measures by the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, including allowing vehicles from Arab countries to transport their own cargo, are helping reduce cargo volumes at the ports and accelerate handling and unloading.

 

The inland port would also provide a new outlet for cargo, customs clearance and other procedures, he said, stressing the need for coordination among customs, transport and clearance authorities.

 

Khalifat said that the rise in cargo handling reflects a recovery in transit traffic and goods movement to neighbouring countries.

 

He stressed that domestic imports have remained strong, with fuel, gas, grains and other commodities recording increases alongside higher cargo flows to Arab markets.