Aqaba Launches Trade, Logistics Portal To Boost Regional Competitiveness

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Aqaba, Sep. 29 (Petra) – The International Trade Center (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and Jordan Customs, in cooperation with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), on Monday launched the Trade and Logistics Performance Portal in Aqaba.
The launch event featured an introductory video on the portal and a panel discussion titled "Smarter Borders, Faster Trade: Enhancing Efficiency and Competitiveness through the Real-Time Data Revolution," which examined how the platform's data can improve trade efficiency and logistics services in Jordan.
The portal integrates information from over 40 government and private-sector entities, converting one billion records into more than 1,500 indicators and 450 interactive dashboards. It offers a comprehensive picture of trade flows by sea, air, and land, including transit, with five-year comparisons, giving policymakers tools to address challenges and measure the impact of reforms, while enabling the private sector to plan activities, reduce costs, and explore new markets.
The new portal represents a major step toward an integrated digital system designed to support Aqaba's role as a regional economic and logistics hub and strengthen Jordan's position in global supply chains.
Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Investment of the ASEZA, Muhammed Abu Omar, underlined that the Aqaba Special Economic Zone remains a strategic gateway for growth and investment in Jordan, functioning as a maritime and commercial hub and a key logistics center. He said the royal directives have laid the foundation for consolidating Aqaba's status as a driver of sustainable development and a destination for quality investments, which contributes to job creation and empowers the productive, tourism, and service sectors.
Abu Omar added that the ASEZA is implementing a strategic plan to bolster Aqaba's attractiveness as a regional trade and investment hub, focusing on infrastructure development, streamlined procedures, improved services, and a better business environment to enhance competitiveness and attract major projects.
Deputy Director General of Jordan Customs, Brigadier General Raed Shayyab, said the portal offers a modern national tool enabling Customs and its partners to use real-time data to understand the commercial and logistics landscape and make evidence-based decisions. He noted the project was developed with the International Trade Center, supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and in collaboration with national institutions.
Director of the ITC's Trade Facilitation Project, Raghad Altalli, highlighted the portal's scope, noting that it consolidates nearly one billion data records from more than 40 entities into 1,500 performance indicators. This provides decision-makers with an in-depth picture of trade and logistics flows, enabling them to identify challenges quickly, measure the impact of reforms in real time, and enhance private-sector competitiveness.

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