Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Nayef Al Fayez, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, witnessed the launch of the National Center for Environmental Justice’s project ” Empowering women professionally by enhancing the environments, capabilities, and practices of providers of eco-tourism services in the city of Aqaba.” on Saturday, March 9th, 2024, in the presence of Dr. Ayman Sulieman, Commissioner of Environment, representing His Excellency the Chairman of the Council. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Makanati Project, with the attendance of various representatives from the tourism sector in Aqaba and the local community.
The launching ceremony included an introduction to the project’s objectives, implementation mechanisms, timelines, target beneficiaries, utilization methods, and expected outcomes. Dr. Ayman Sulieman emphasized the importance of adopting such sustainable development projects related to green sustainable tourism, highlighting the authority’s support for pioneering projects reflecting their impact on the tourism and environmental sectors in Aqaba as a global tourist destination.
Dr. Mohammed Eyadat, CEO of the National Center for Environmental Justice, reiterated the center’s vision in implementing pioneering projects to promote sustainable development concepts and apply them across all environmental sectors, especially the tourism sector, which is closely linked to the environment. He stressed the importance of empowering communities, particularly women, in their social environments, by equipping them with the necessary skills and tools to access employment opportunities that meet their social needs.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Dr. Eyadat affirmed that Jordanian women are leading in empowering their communities and fostering the development of their children. He highlighted the project’s role in keeping pace with developments in green tourism and creating new employment opportunities in this field.
Representing the Makanati Project, Mr. Mohammed Nayef, Director of Research and Policy, provided a briefing on the project’s funded initiatives, objectives, and their intersections with the aspirations of companies and the local community. He emphasized the importance of implementing such projects in empowering women and tourism facilities to enhance the concept of green tourism and create new job opportunities in this sector.
Mr. Mahmoud Naser, Project Director, presented an overview of the project’s goals, dimensions, stages, and expected outcomes, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between tourism facilities and the National Center for Environmental Justice.
Dr. Nada Hamdan, Advisory Committee Member, provided an informative overview of the role of the tourism sector in leading green tourism, work mechanisms, and available tools for facilities to keep pace with global tourism developments. She emphasized the importance of empowering facilities and targets to enter the green sustainable tourism market to enhance new employment opportunities.
Engineer Nader Al Shammari, Director of Technical Operations at Ayla Oasis, shared a success story of the “Makarem” program, an initiative of Ayla Oasis Company for Development, aiming to encourage innovative entrepreneurial initiatives across all age groups in Aqaba. He highlighted the positive impact of the initiative by employing participants’ scientific, practical, and cognitive skills, supporting their creativity and innovation, as Ayla believes in the role of education in building Jordan and achieving its advancement and addressing challenges. Al Shammari praised the project’s idea, which aligns with Ayla Oasis’s vision of creating creative opportunities for youth in Aqaba to enter the job market equipped with essential skills and knowledge to keep pace with the developments in sustainable green tourism worldwide.
