Jordan on Thursday officially launched the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, a low-tariff area that the government hopes will attract much-needed foreign investment and create some 70,000 jobs over the next 20 years, the Jordan Times reported Thursday.
King Abdullah, who has made the ASEZ his pet project since the early months of his reign, has invited some 200 local, Arab and international investors for a conference scheduled to take place this morning, said the daily.
According to the paper, Thursday’s agenda also includes tours of the city and boat trips across the ASEZ to provide potential investors with a first-hand opportunity to better understand and evaluate preliminary land-use plans.
King Abdullah is scheduled to lay the cornerstone of Tala Bay — a $500 million joint venture between Egypt's Orascom and the local Zara investment firm, along with Saudi investors, to create a marina and tourism complex – Albawaba.com
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