First Flights of "Royal Jordanian" from Riyadh Arrive in Aqaba

The Director of the Tourism Directorate at the Aqaba Economic Special Zone Authority, Salam Al-Maliki, confirmed that the Authority is continuing its efforts to open new tourist markets, focusing on regional and surrounding markets in the region, with the aim of enhancing the tourist movement coming to Aqaba.

Al-Maliki explained that the inauguration of direct air routes linking Aqaba with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi contributes to facilitating the arrival of tourists to the city and providing them with the opportunity to benefit from the tourist attractions that Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Petra are rich in, within the Golden Triangle route.

She added that promotional campaigns are ongoing in cooperation with Royal Jordanian and the "Explore Jordan" application, in partnership with the private sector, particularly the hotel and national carrier sectors, noting that work is underway to prepare integrated tourist packages that include arrival, accommodation, and various tourist experiences.

She confirmed that these efforts aim to present Aqaba as an integrated tourist destination for visitors to the Kingdom and enhance its presence on the map of Arab tourism, in parallel with expanding air access options to it from regional and international markets.

The regularity of new air flights throughout the year enhances direct travel options to Aqaba and supports the tourism sector's efforts to attract new markets, in line with the development of the tourism product and enhancing the competitiveness of the city as an integrated tourist destination.

For his part, the Director of King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, Muhammad Al-Saraireh, confirmed that the reception of the first flights of the (Riyadh-Aqaba) route represents an important step towards enhancing the city's air connectivity system and supporting tourist attraction to it.

Al-Saraireh explained that this achievement came with a shared vision and intensive coordination between the Aqaba Economic Special Zone Authority, Royal Jordanian, the national carrier, and all concerned parties and partners in the sector.

He added that the airport witnessed extensive infrastructure development and improvement works over the past period, with the aim of raising its readiness to receive several air flights simultaneously, thereby providing quality and distinguished services to passengers, reducing response time, and raising the level of services provided according to the highest standards.

He pointed out that the new air flight program includes operating the Riyadh route with two weekly flights throughout the year, and the Abu Dhabi route with two weekly flights throughout the year, while the Moscow route is scheduled to open on October 25 next with two weekly flights, alongside enhancing air traffic on the Cairo route to reach three weekly flights.

Al-Saraireh pointed out that the regular operation of these routes throughout the year contributes to reducing the seasonality of tourist activity and supports the sustainability of tourist and visitor flow to Aqaba throughout the year, which reflects on various sectors linked to tourist movement.

It should be noted that the presence of His Highness Prince Faisal comes in the context of his interest in accessible and inclusive tourism and serving people with disabilities, as he holds the position of Executive President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association for Them to Serve People with Disabilities, and chairs the Arab Council for Accessible Tourism, in addition to his roles in the field of specifications and quality.