Aqaba

Aqaba is Jordan's only coastal city, set on the northeastern shore of the Red Sea at the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. With Eilat in Israel and Taba in Egypt nearby and the Saudi border just beyond, it combines beach resort life with an important seaport and a special economic zone.

The city's history reaches back to ancient Elath and the early Islamic settlement of Ayla, and its past is visible at the Aqaba Fortress and the archaeological museum. In the early 20th century, Aqaba became part of the Great Arab Revolt story, remembered today at the Great Arab Revolt Plaza and its towering flagpole.

Visitors spend much of their time around the corniche, the downtown old quarter and the modern Ayla marina, or head to South Beach and the Aqaba Marine Park for coral reefs, snorkelling and diving. The desert landscapes of Wadi Rum and the rock-cut city of Petra are both reachable as day trips, making Aqaba a practical base for Jordan's so-called Golden Triangle.

As an economic hub, Aqaba benefits from duty-free status, a busy container port and logistics infrastructure, while tourism, conferences and new waterfront developments continue to grow around it.

With warm weather through much of the year, accessible beaches and connections to two of the country's most famous sites, Aqaba serves both leisure travellers and business visitors as a compact Red Sea gateway.