Everyone recognizes that Aqaba is Jordan's economic, commercial, and tourism lifeline. It is far more than just the country's maritime gateway, an industrial hub, or a fishing port.
اضافة اعلان
I was particularly impressed by what Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan did on Sunday, when he sent a series of significant political messages from Aqaba.
During his visit, he inaugurated the natural gas station in the Southern Industrial Zone, laid the foundation stone for the onshore regasification unit project, visited the Aqaba Marine Reserve following its recent inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List, met with the economic team at the Aqaba Development Corporation, and reaffirmed that Aqaba is the cornerstone of Jordan's major strategic projects in the fields of water, energy, transport, and railways.
By doing so, he effectively countered growing speculation about Jordan's stability, particularly concerning Aqaba. The message was clear: Aqaba remains secure, and nothing will force Jordan to retreat or be intimidated.
This is not about the media flattering the prime minister, as some may assume, nor is it an expression of loyalty to any individual.
Rather, it reflects the sensitivity of the location, the timing of the visit, and the need to give Aqaba greater attention especially since these visits came only days after the city was targeted by missile attacks. Although Aqaba is relatively small, its infrastructure is highly strategic, including the port, airport, industrial and chemical facilities, commercial centers, and, above all, the Jordanians, Arabs, and foreigners who live there.
Aqaba is an economic model with its own special authority and regulatory framework, designed to attract investment and tourism. Virtually all of Jordan's imports and exports pass through the city.
For that reason, missile attacks on Aqaba cannot be viewed as ordinary incidents. Even those who support missile strikes generally expect them to target Israel not a Jordanian city.
It is difficult to imagine that any Jordanian would be willing to risk disruptions to food supplies, medicine, and imported goods should Aqaba's infrastructure suffer significant damage.
At the same time, Aqaba has a major opportunity amid the region's ongoing turmoil.
If Jordan learns from past experiences and capitalizes on regional vulnerabilities, the city could become an even more important strategic hub.
Jordan has every reason to revisit and strengthen its development plans for Aqaba, particularly as regional instability continues unabated.
Perhaps the government should also consider holding its next Cabinet meeting in Aqaba, just as it has done in other governorates.
Even if officials wish to avoid appearing reactive in the aftermath of the attacks, that should not prevent them from placing greater emphasis on Aqaba and accelerating its development plans.
Jordan continues to navigate exceptionally difficult circumstances in a complex political and economic environment, facing threats from every direction while also dealing with domestic challenges such as rising living costs, unemployment, corruption, and declining confidence in political, parliamentary, and party life.
Yet even under such conditions, the country must continue trying again and again to remain strong, especially as destructive policies continue to unfold across the region, leaving its peoples to bear the consequences while those responsible show little concern for the devastation they have caused.
