Under the Patronage of Eng. Nader Al Dahabi, ASEZA Chief Commissioner, the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) signed an agreement with AERO Wings for Industry, which is a subsidiary of AlDhaher Group, to establish an assembly plant for light planes and engines at Aqaba's King Hussein International Airport (KHIA).
The 20-year contract signed between both parties stipulates that the assembly and maintenance plant will be constructed on 10,000 m² of land at KHIA. According to the agreement, the construction and development of the project will begin in 90 days and will be launched by mid 2009.
Eng. Emad Fakhoury, ADC's Chairman and CEO, said, "This agreement is a result of ADC's ongoing efforts to implement the ASEZ master plan that will develop the King Hussein International Airport and then promote it as a major regional logistics and multi-modal facility, providing Aqaba's visitors with comprehensive high quality aviation services."
He went on to say, "We will continue with our efforts to develop Aqaba into a tourist and investment destination as well as a logistics hub for the region. We will also work hard to implement all our plans to ensure Aqaba is transformed into a leading business and leisure hub on the Red Sea."
Highlighting the importance of the project, Chairman of the Board of AERO Wings for Industry Sheikh Tariq Khalaf Al Abdullah said, "This project at KHIA is significant for several reasons, but most importantly, it provides Aqaba's businessmen, tourists and visitors with much-needed services that will contribute to transforming Aqaba into a world renowned tourism and business destination".
He added: "This agreement with ADC comes as part of our objective to expand our business, and Aqaba plays a key role in our plans. We believe that it is a national responsibility to promote KHIA regionally and internationally in order to implement the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II. This agreement is a stepping stone to creating an advanced aviation industry in Jordan."
ADC owns and maintains the development and management rights for the strategic assets in ASEZ including KHIA, which is currently adopting an open skies policy. ADC has also prepared a master plan to develop KHIA for the next thirty years, and further developments will take place to increase the Airport's capacity in order to accommodate larger planes and receive more regional and international flights. Furthermore, an air cargo facility has been established to ensure Aqaba becomes a leading transport and logistics gateway to the entire Middle East region.
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
