Aqaba Governorate
Aqaba's sole Red Sea port and $20B special economic zone make it Jordan's trade gateway with lowest unemployment (17.4%) and tripled population since 1990s.
Aqaba exists because Jordan's only Red Sea coastline exists—26 kilometers of access to maritime trade that makes this governorate the kingdom's gateway to global commerce. The Port of Aqaba's 12 specialized terminals with 32 berths handle containers, phosphates, grain, oil, and LNG, supplying over 93% of Jordan's fuel imports and providing the export infrastructure that landlocked neighbors lack.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone transformed a desert outpost into a low-tax, duty-free jurisdiction that attracted $20 billion in investment—far exceeding initial $6 billion targets. Population tripled from 60,000 in the late 1990s to over 190,000 today, the growth driven by projects like Ayla Oasis, Saraya Aqaba, and Marsa Zayed that exploit the special zone's regulatory advantages.
Port-related activities support 33,500 workers (2.3% of Jordan's insured workforce), contributing to Aqaba's 17.4% unemployment rate in 2024—the lowest among Jordan's governorates. Ferry passenger traffic rose 28.7% to 208,063 in H1 2025, tourism benefiting from proximity to Petra and Wadi Rum. The May 2024 US-backed strategy positioning Aqaba as tourism and investment destination confirms the governorate's role as Jordan's primary growth engine.