Aqaba, May 20 (Petra) -- Ayla Oasis Development Company welcomed a new package of incentives approved by the Cabinet, saying the measures will sharpen Aqaba’s competitiveness as both a tourism hub and residential destination and unlock fresh momentum for the city’s property market.

The incentives include customs and sales-tax exemptions on personal watercraft, duty-free entry for household furniture, renewable permits for temporarily imported vehicles, and extended residency rights for property owners and their dependents. The package also allows Jordanians to purchase homes in gated communities under preferential terms.

"These decisions create a comprehensive, highly competitive framework that will attract long-term foreign residents, encourage Jordanian buyers, and make Aqaba a magnet for business leaders, professionals, and retirees," said Mansour Al-Kabariti, Ayla’s director of public and government relations.

Al-Kabariti added that lighter tax burdens and streamlined procedures should draw new capital into the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, fostering an investment climate conducive to large-scale tourism and real-estate projects. He predicted the measures would ripple through dozens of ancillary industries, supporting Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision 2023-2025 and the goal of placing Aqaba among the world’s top 100 cities.

Tourism indicators already point upward: receipts in the "Golden Triangle" of Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Petra climbed 15.3 percent to more than US$2.4 billion in the first four months of 2025, while visitor numbers rose 19 percent year on year. Al-Kabariti expects the new incentives to accelerate that trend, boosting demand for residential and commercial property and spurring urban-infrastructure upgrades that improve quality of life.

He urged investors to capitalize on the policy shift, noting Ayla’s commitment to bringing forward innovative projects that align with national development goals and enhance Jordan’s regional and international appeal.

//Petra// RZ

20/05/2025 12:06:38