Aqaba, Dec. 9 (Petra) – The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) renewed its cooperation agreement with the Aqaba Diving Association (ADA) on Tuesday to bolster efforts aimed at preserving the marine environment in the Gulf of Aqaba, reducing pollution, and protecting coral reefs.

The agreement was signed by the ASEZA's Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety, Nidal Ouran, and the ADA’s President, Khammash Yassine, in the presence of Aqaba Marine Reserve Director Nasser Zawaideh.

Ouran stressed the ASEZA’s commitment to developing sustainable environmental programs that enhance marine tourism and safeguard biodiversity. He noted that marine waste management must go beyond collection to include sorting, processing, and recycling with broad community participation, ensuring resource sustainability and the protection of the marine environment, which serves as a cornerstone of tourism.

He added that preserving the marine environment is a shared responsibility that requires integrated efforts from the public and private sectors, as well as the local community, to protect natural resources for future generations.

For his part, Yassine stated that renewing the agreement reflects the ADA’s continued dedication to protecting the marine environment and raising environmental awareness among visitors and the community through specialized teams that conduct sea-cleaning operations and monitor marine and coral life.

He underscored that maintaining clean and safe diving sites is both an environmental and tourism priority, pointing out that the Gulf of Aqaba, with its distinctive coral reefs, is a global attraction for diving enthusiasts and marine conservation advocates.

//Petra// AO