Construction of $1.5bn Aqaba theme park begins

Construction of the $1.5 billion The Red Sea Astrarium – a leisure destination and theme park in Jordan’s Aqba zone – has begun and will create over 4,000 jobs in the country.

The High Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Dr. Kamel Mahadin, announced that groundbreaking for the first themed tourist destination in Jordan is ready.

At a ceremony, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdalla Ensour, the layout for land development, entertainment designs and architectural and engineering plans were revealed.

Details of the 184 acre themed entertainment resort were brought to life in an unconventional manner via a purpose-built cyclorama with 360-degree virtual reality projection, designed to give delegates attending the World Economic Forum in Jordan a taste of The Red Sea Astrarium experience.

The showcase highlighted how the Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA) will become a diverse leisure destination that is themed around the entertainment attractions drawing from the past, the present and the future of the region. The resort will also host the American Museum of Natural History's Silk Road Exhibition throughout its Hijazi Gardens.

The ceremony demonstrated the home grown and break-through technology behind two attractions that will catapult Jordan to the forefront for interactive experiences, including a global first for 4D inverted simulation that is different on every ride.

The announcement at the ground-breaking ceremony also underlined the project’s mandate for job creation, the contribution it will have towards tourism in Jordan and its use of clean energy sources.

The Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, Dr. Kamel Mahadin highlighted details of the resort that will make it the first of its kind in the world.

Speaking to delegates, Dr Mahadin said; “A major goal in the design of The Red Sea Astrarium is to actively engage the local communities through training with on-site hospitality academies, job creation, promoting the length of a tourist’s stay and encouraging repeat visitation. The entertainment resort will undeniably transform the Aqaba region and make it a high-end tourism hub for Jordan. It will do so whilst telling stories from our regional culture, integrating alternative energy sources and promoting the development of the entertainment industry in Jordan.”

Other details that were announced included four-world-class hotels, an expansive retail and dining district, a theatre that will bring globally renowned shows to Aqaba, a 4D cinema, an exhilarating water park and an entertainment district that includes 16 entertainment attractions, 15 designed by Rubicon Group Holding, an international group founded and head quartered in Jordan, and the 16th attraction based on Star Trek, the CBS-owned property designed by Paramount Pictures.

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