AD Ports Group inaugurated a new cruise ship terminal at the Port of Aqaba on Monday. Aqaba Cruise Terminal is Jordan's first cruise terminal of its kind, announced by an Abu Dhabi-based logistics company and Aqaba Development Corporation. The new Cruise Terminal marks the launch of the first of five mega-projects underway with Aqaba Development Corporation to advance the coastal city’s tourism, logistics and transport sectors.

The cruise ship MSC Splendida arrived at the terminal for the inauguration. AD Ports Group and Aqaba Development Corporation will work to bring international tourists to Jordan through the terminal, targeting travelers to the historic site of Petra, the Wadi Rum desert and Aqaba itself, according to a press release. 

Ship data site MarineTraffic showed the MSC Splendida in the Red Sea on Tuesday en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A cruise terminal in Aqaba goes in line with the development of Jordan's tourism sector. Jordan's tourism revenue increased significantly in 2022. Tourist visits to Petra are also on the rise. In December, the Jordanian government announced a seven-year plan to renovate the site of Jesus' baptism on the Jordan River. 

AD Ports Group said it expects 50 cruise ships to dock in Aqaba over the next four months. The terminal is the first of five projects planned between AD Ports Group and Aqaba Development Corporation to develop Aqaba's tourism, logistics and transport sectors.