Khaberni - Shadi Al-Majali, the president of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, confirmed on Tuesday that the Aqaba ports are operating as usual, and ships are being received normally compared to last year during the same period, pointing out the increase in both cargo and number of ships.
Al-Majali explained to "Al-Mamlaka" that since the beginning of this month until now, the Aqaba ports have received 199 ships, including 86 passenger ships, and he expects an additional 57 ships to arrive next week, including 25 passenger ships, distributed among the Container Port, the New Aqaba Port, and the Passenger Port.
He added that the ports have so far received 5,408 cars via 10 ships, with the expectation of another ship arriving soon carrying 2,766 cars.
Al-Majali also noted that the ports have handled 8 LPG tankers with a total of about 345,000 tons, in addition to preparing to receive an LNG tanker with a cargo of up to 38,000 tons.
Al-Majali confirmed there have been no cancellations in the arrival of ships, except for tourist vessels due to regional circumstances, emphasizing that other sectors, including general goods, phosphates, energy, and containers, are operating without any interruptions or slowdowns.
He mentioned that any limited changes in shipping routes are due to the navigation companies themselves and have not affected the smoothness of operations or operational efficiency within the ports.
Regarding operational capacity, he clarified that the Jordanian ports, especially the Container Port, are currently operating at a capacity ranging from 60% to 65%, with an additional loading capacity of about 30%, along with the readiness of the yards and storage facilities in Aqaba to accommodate any potential increase in cargo movement for Jordan or neighboring countries.
Al-Majali emphasized that the measures taken are aimed at accelerating clearance and handling processes, which ensures the maintenance of operational efficiency and the ability to accommodate any developments in regional trade movement.
