Abu Dhabi-based developers of the $10 billion Marsa Zayed project in Aqaba pledged to go ahead with its implementation of the project as planned.
Al Maabar International Investments, one of the largest real estate and investment firms in the UAE, held a press conference in Amman in order to provide the media with "all facts and to remove intentional and non-intentional fallacies surrounding the project".
Several owners of news websites attended the press conference, as they were the targeted audience of Al Maabar's message.
Emad Keilani, the company's CEO in Jordan, said the project, which is the largest in the Arab world, will create around 17,000 jobs and its direct and indirect revenues to the state budget would reach JD200 million per year when it is completed.
According to Keilani, Marsa Zayed will also be capable of receiving cruise ships carrying over 250,000 tourists a year.
"While such projects carried out by Al Maabar in other countries are admired and valued by Arab and foreign officials, it is unfortunate that the Marsa Zayed project continues to be discredited through smear campaigns against its objectives to serve Jordan's economy," he said at the conference.
Minister of Industry and Trade Hatem Halawani, who also attended the press conference, noted that attracting and supporting investments is the way to stimulate the economy and create jobs for Jordanians.
Jordan Times
19 June
