Aqaba Bird Observatory ranks among world’s top tourism destinations

AMMAN — After securing the second place globally as a sustainable green destination in the category of environment and climate, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), in cooperation with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), has won recognition for the Aqaba Bird Observatory (ABO) among the world’s top 100 tourist destinations at the Berlin Exhibition in Germany.

According to a statement from ASEZA issued on Tuesday, the ASEZA president, Naif Fayez, said that Aqaba’s achievement is a significant milestone, especially in light of the sustainability standards adopted by the port city in its various tourism sectors, especially the ABO, which forms the basis of tourism plans in Aqaba.

ABO director, Firas Rahahleh, said that the observatory is a unique place in the region and in the world, based on an adaptive environmental approach to the climate challenges facing the world, especially water scarcity. 

The challenge of water has become one of the most fundamental challenges in Jordan, he added, noting that the idea of the ABO was conceived to reuse water to compensate for some naturally degraded aquatic and green environments by providing more sustainable artificial aquatic and green environments.

He added that Jordan is an important migratory route for birds within the second most important bird migration route in the world. The ABO stands out as one of the most important resting places for these birds between the continents of Asia and Africa. 

Despite its small area, the observatory has a high ecological value, recording a distinctive biodiversity of more than 61 per cent of the bird species recorded in Jordan in general, making Jordan an important tourist destination for both resident and migratory bird watching, he said.

The ASEZA, RSCN, the Aqaba Water Company, the Aqaba Development Corporation and the USAID signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2023 to develop the ABO by enhancing its artificial environments to ensure the highest level of sustainability for its environmental and tourism values.