AMMAN -- Construction work on a JD210 million mall and resort is set to get under way in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba next year to further enhance the city's tourism and recreational appeal, officials said this week.
Real estate developers Al Kurdi Group signed an agreement with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) on Saturday for the construction of the Aqaba Mall and Resort.
The project, located in the port city's free trade district, will include a multilevel mall with retail and leisure facilities, a four-star hotel, an aqua park and entertainment venues for shoppers and children.
The mall is set to house more than 40 food and drink outlets, including coffee shops, restaurants and fast food chains, a hypermarket, 12 cinema theatres, a Go Kart area, a bowling alley and a gym.
Its completion is scheduled for the middle of 2010.
ASEZA Chief Commissioner Nader Dahabi, who signed the agreement with Kurdi Group CEO Obaida Al Kurdi, described the project as a major investment that would meet the area's growing development needs and raise its appeal for tourists and local residents.
"The initiative is considered as a qualitative leap that will help shape the tourism experience for visitors and enhance the investment climate in this area," said Dahabi.
"We have already seen growing tourist arrivals by sea, land and air since the beginning of the year and a project like this will provide a new platform of quality facilities and services to meet the needs of Jordanians and tourists," he added.
According to Dahabi, ASEZA has been pursuing a fast track of development to build its face as a tourism and commercial hub on the Red Sea since its inception as a free zone in 2000. Its strategic position, as well as the unique set of commercial investment opportunities offered by ASEZA, gives it a strong standing to develop that potential.
Development of several beach resorts, hotels and malls are part of that effort to help the city compete alongside Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, also on the Red Sea.
The development of the Ayla Oasis on the northern tip of Aqaba will see the creation of a new coastline consisting of a series of man-made lagoons open to the Gulf of Aqaba with hotels, residential areas, a marina and a golf course.
Construction on the JD350 million Tala Bay project on the southern coast of Aqaba, as well as Saraya Aqaba, a beachfront city built around a man-made lagoon on 610,000 sq. metres of land, are also under way to boost the area's appeal as a leisure destination.
The residences and retails outlets in Tala Bay's Marina Town and Marina underwent a soft opening in 2005, while hotels and other facilities in the main hub of the resort are set to be ready next year. Meanwhile, Saraya Aqaba on the western tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, will commence operations in 2009.
Several malls were built in the port city recently, such as the Aqaba City Centre, which includes supermarkets, banks and financial services, restaurants, more than 150 outlets for international brands, an entertainment centre and a bowling alley.
Meanwhile, the Shweikh Commercial Centre in the north of Aqaba, features a supermarket, restaurants, cafs, retail stores and a panoramic restaurant owned by Red Sea Housing Company.
Dahabi said the new Aqaba mall, however, is going to be the largest so far. It will be the seventh multilevel mall to go up in Jordan since the concept of these malls came into being six years ago.
According to Kurdi, the Aqaba Mall and Resort is in line with the growing demand for such venues in the area.
He said the hotel, with a wedding hall and fully-serviced meeting rooms as well as 100 apartments, will have five-star services at three or four-star prices.
The Kurdi Group, established in the 1930s, introduced the first comprehensive shopping mall in Abdoun in 2001. Its next project, Mecca Mall, which houses more than 350 shops and international retail names, is currently undergoing expansion work. The JD360 million extension will house a new shopping area, a 350-room four-star hotel, an office tower and an entertainment city.
By Dalya Dajani
© Jordan Times 2006
