AMMAN — The Jordan Customs Department (JCD), in cooperation with the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint United Nations–World Trade Organisation (UN-WTO) agency, and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), on Monday launched the Trade and Logistics Performance Gateway in Aqaba.

The “Trade Gateway” represents a major step towards a fully integrated digital system, strengthening Aqaba’s role as a regional economic and logistics hub and enhancing Jordan’s position in global supply chains, according to an ITC statement.

Speaking at the launch, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Investment at ASEZA Mohammad Abu Omar, on behalf of Authority Chairman Shadi Majali, said the Aqaba economic zone is a vital gateway for growth and investment due to its strategic role as a maritime, trade, and logistics centre.

He highlighted Royal directives that have reinforced Aqaba’s status as a hub for sustainable development, high-quality investment, job creation, and growth in the productive, tourism, and service sectors.

Abu Omar added, “The Authority has launched an ambitious strategic plan to bolster Aqaba’s status as a prime investment destination and regional trade and logistics hub. This plan focuses on developing infrastructure and services for key sectors, simplifying investment procedures, and enhancing the business environment to attract major projects and boost competitiveness.”

Deputy Director General of Customs Brig. Gen. Raed Shayyab described the Trade Gateway as a modern national tool enabling the Customs Department and its public and private sector partners to access real-time data, understand commercial and logistical realities, and make informed decisions.

The initiative was developed in cooperation with the ITC, supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation, and with the participation of national institutions. He urged stakeholders to actively utilise the platform to create added economic value.

Trade Facilitation Project Manager Raghad Teli, representing the ITC, said that the gateway transforms nearly 1 billion records from over 40 entities into 1,500 performance indicators.

The platform provides decision-makers with a clear view of trade and logistics movements, enabling them to identify challenges quickly, make evidence-based decisions, monitor the impact of reforms in real time, boost private sector competitiveness, and reduce trade time and costs, she said.

The launch event included an introductory video and a panel discussion entitled “Smarter Borders, Faster Trade: Boosting Efficiency and Competitiveness through Real-Time Data”, highlighting the gateway’s potential to enhance Jordan’s foreign trade and logistics services.

The gateway integrates data from over 40 government and private entities, transforming nearly one billion records into actionable insights through more than 1,500 indicators and 450 interactive dashboards. It provides a comprehensive view of trade movements by sea, air, and land, including transit, with five years of historical data. This enables authorities to quickly identify challenges, take informed action, evaluate reforms’ impacts, and gives the private sector greater capacity to plan activities, reduce costs, and explore new markets.

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