A direct shipping line has opened between Jordan's only port of Aqaba and the US, the official Jordanian news agency reported.
The agency said the line inaugurated on Sunday would cut a container ship's journey between the two countries by 37 per cent to 22 days.
“It is a big opportunity for Jordanian industrial companies to increase their exports at competitive prices to the United States,” said Nayef Al Fayez, head of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.
During the first 10 months of last year, Jordan exported $2 billion worth of goods to the US, compared with $1.8 billion in the same period of 2021, according to central bank figures.
US exports to Jordan rose to $1.2 billion from $821 million over the same period.
But Jordan's overall container exports from Aqaba remained steady at 86,229 containers last year, according to official figures.
Jordan is a main recipient of US aid, receiving $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion in development, military, and other aid from Washington every year. The kingdom hosts several thousand US troops under a 2021 defence pact.
In May last year, American carrier United Airlines started flights from Washington to Amman, connecting the two capitals directly for the first time.
During the past two decades Jordanian authorities have been trying to expand Aqaba by offering investors concessions and trying to spur consumption through lower taxes than in the rest of Jordan. Aqaba enjoyed a mini-boom in the 1980s, when its port served as a main conduit of supplies and weapons to Iraq during its eight-year war with Iran.
In 2018, officials said they wanted to revive an oil refinery project in Aqaba that was first conceived in the 1990s. Under the new proposal, the refinery would process Iraqi crude delivered via pipeline from Basra, doing away with the need for Iraqi oil imports by road. But the idea never gained traction because of the unstable relations between the two countries.
Last week the first cruise ship terminal opened just outside the city under a deal with the Emirati Abu Dhabi Ports Group.
Jordanian authorities have offered the group property and other concessions to upgrade the infrastructure in the city and build residential and commercial compounds.
At the end of 2021, the parties signed several deals to build tourism, transport, logistics and digital infrastructure in Aqaba.
They include the proposed $10 billion Marsa Zayed real estate project, a new communications system, additional berths at the main port and an expansion at Aqaba's airport.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
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Torque: 175Nm
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
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Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
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BMW M5 specs
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
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The five pillars of Islam
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
