Aqaba, Sept 27 (Petra) -- Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the natural gas supply station project in the Southern Industrial Zone in Aqaba Governorate.

He also toured the South Aqaba Investment Complex and Aqaba Logistics Village projects, and viewed first-hand expansion plans before chairing a Cabinet session in the southern region.

The inauguration of the natural gas supply station project in the Southern Industrial Zone in Aqaba is part of the government's efforts to supply industrial zones with clean and sustainable energy with the aim of supporting national industries, enhancing their competitiveness, enabling them to expand, reducing production costs, and attracting new investments to industrial zones.

Aqaba Development Corporation CEO Hussein Safadi gave a briefing on the project, which will be completed in 18 months to two years.

It includes construction of a natural gas station with a capacity of 3,700 cubic meters per hour to supply industries with natural gas. It will be connected to the existing reduction and metering station at the industrial complex of the Phosphate Mines Company.

Jordanian-Egyptian Fajr Natural Gas Transmission and Supply Company CEO Yasser Salah also spoke about the project, which will help enhance energy sources and promote investment through reducing operating costs and increasing the competitiveness of industries that rely on natural gas in production processes.

During a visit to the South Aqaba Investment Park, a major business and logistics hub, the Prime Minister was briefed on expansion plans for the park and the northern project, urging the provision of necessary facilities for existing investments and expansion within the park, which includes an integrated logistics and industrial city, enhancing Aqaba as a regional hub for business and logistics services to accommodate growing regional and international markets.

The park is a public-private partnership success story, with an investment volume of about JD250 million, offering some 600 job opportunities.

The Premier was briefed on key investments in the South Aqaba Investment Complex of nearly JD21 million, part of a 30 percent partnership between the Aqaba Development Company and the Kuwaiti National Real Estate Company. The complex is considered a model combining global expertise and local market know-how to develop integrated projects, opening up wide prospects for growth and attracting future capital in Aqaba.

He also listened to a briefing on the implementation plans for the Northern Project, which is developed by the Aqaba Development Company and the Jordanian National Real Estate Company.

The project includes a modern, integrated city for housing, business, and entertainment. It is located 7 kilometers north of Aqaba and 2 kilometers east of King Hussein International Airport over an area of ​about 534,000 square meters, offering diverse opportunities for real estate developers and investors in the housing and commercial sectors.

The Prime Minister also inspected the Aqaba Logistics Village and an expansion and development project, pledging the government's support for the expansion and development plans being implemented in partnership between the Aqaba Development Corporation, APM Terminals, and Kawar International Group. It is a strategic national venture that aligns with the vision of developing the Aqaba Special Economic Zone as a regional logistics hub.

The International Red Cross has designated the village as a major regional center to deliver relief aid to the Gaza Strip.

Hassan listened to a briefing on the project, the first and second phases of which were developed in an investment of approximately 14 million dinars. Discussion is currently underway to implement the third phase.

The first phase of the project, inaugurated by His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2009, includes a container terminal, a logistics center, a distribution warehouse, and outdoor yards. The second phase, inaugurated in 2015, includes a multi-purpose warehouse and dedicated yards for storing vehicles and heavy goods.

The Prime Minister was accompanied on his tour by Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Shadi Majali, and Aqaba Governor Ayman Awaysheh.

//Petra//SS