3,400 Tourists Arrive in Aqaba Aboard AROYA Cruise Ship 🚢🇯🇴

Aqaba Port welcomed the Aroya cruise ship on Friday, September 25, 2026, arriving from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with around 3,400 tourists, most of them Saudi nationals, alongside approximately 1,200 crew members.

The ship arrived at the cruise terminal in the morning and is scheduled to depart later that evening, as part of an itinerary that includes visits to tourist and archaeological sites across Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum.

To support the visit, nine shuttle buses were provided for transportation within Aqaba, while eight buses were allocated for trips to Petra and two to Wadi Rum, with all scheduled to return this evening. Another 10 buses were assigned to sightseeing tours of Aqaba’s main attractions.

Thabet Al-Nabulsi, Commissioner for Tourism and Youth Affairs at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), highlighted the role of cruise ships in strengthening Aqaba’s position as a marine tourism destination and supporting tourism-related economic activity.

He noted that cruise traffic contributes to increased visitor numbers and stimulates activity across commercial and service sectors, while ASEZA continues to support the marine tourism sector and attract more cruise ships and tourist voyages to Aqaba.

Aroya operates on a regular route departing from Jeddah, stopping at Sharm El-Sheikh and Aqaba before returning to Jeddah, strengthening marine tourism connections between ports across the region.

Source: Jordan News Agency (Petra)