1.5 million tourist target set for Aqaba, despite Gaza war impacting Petra

AQABA – On Sunday, the Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Nayef Al-Fayez, stated that the institution prioritizes the development and qualification of the region to create an attractive investment environment capable of drawing foreign capital for 2024 to 2026, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.

Fayez made these remarks during the discussion of the financial committee of the House of Representatives regarding the budget of the ASEZA, as well as the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority. The total current and capital expenditures for the current fiscal year amount to JD72.9 million, representing an increase of JD8.5 million compared to the 2023 budget.

It is worth noting that the authority's aims include luring 1.5 million tourists to Aqaba this year and enticing visitors to stay for four days.

Fares Al-Breizat, the head of the Petra Development and Tourism Authority, indicated that the war in Gaza had reduced tourist activity in Petra from 6,000 daily visitors to 500 people.

The following are the significant discrepancies between the estimated appropriations for 2024 and the updated projections for 2023, as revealed by the current budget:

Current Expenditures:

• An increase in the total compensation for employees by approximately JD769,000, accounting for the natural annual salary increase. This covers the cost of vacancies, new appointments, and transfers from one department, as well as the expenses related to terminating services from another department.
  
• A rise in various operational expenditure items for the authority by around JD475,000, including electricity, fuel, security contracts, transportation, and vehicle maintenance.
  
• An additional increase of approximately JD100,000 to cover rising costs in other current expenditure items.
  Capital Expenditures:
  

Capital expenditures for 2023 have increased by JD7.21 million over the revised estimate for 2022. Among the authority's notable projects are:

• The infrastructure project for Wadi Rum
  
• The Green Economy project
  
• The city cleanliness project in Aqaba
  
• The advertising and promotional campaign project
  
• The support for the transportation sector
  
• The electronic services development project
  
• The general maintenance project