By : Nedal Zubeidi
Jordan Daily – PBI Aqaba Industrial Estates is operating at almost full capacity, prompting the company to expand industrial development to the Queirah area, Chief Executive Officer Adele Yi Yan said.
PBI, a UK-registered company operating under a concession agreement with the Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation since 2005, manages and develops the Aqaba International Industrial Estate, which spans about 1.7 million square metres.
“Up to now, we are almost at full capacity,” Yi Yan said, adding that total investment in the estate has reached around $1 billion. The project has created approximately 6,000 jobs, including about 1,250 for local Jordanians, Adele Yi Yan told Jordan Daily.
With industrial land in Aqaba becoming increasingly limited, PBI has moved to develop the Queirah International Industrial Estate (QIIE), 45 kilometers north of Aqaba, following what Yi Yan described as successful cooperation with Jordanian public-sector partners. The company has signed a joint development agreement with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and Aqaba Development Corporation.
Phase one infrastructure at Queirah is nearly complete, and the estate is ready to receive investors, Yi Yan said. Four investors have already signed agreements, including companies in logistics, chemicals, liquefied natural gas and textiles.
Yi Yan said Queirah will be the first industrial estate in Jordan equipped with natural gas, calling it a key step in reducing energy costs and improving efficiency for manufacturers. Natural gas will be supplied under an agreement with Fajr Company, with infrastructure extended directly to investors.
She highlighted Aqaba’s investment incentives, including a flat 5% income tax, zero customs duties on transit goods and raw materials, zero tax on dividends and full foreign ownership without the need for a local partner. Aqaba’s position as Jordan’s only seaport also supports export-oriented industries, she noted.
PBI Aqaba is investing in renewable energy, wastewater treatment facilities and solar infrastructure at Queirah to improve competitiveness, Yi Yan said.
Despite strong competition from neighboring countries such as Egypt, Yi Yan said Jordan’s political stability remains a decisive factor for long-term investors.
“For sustainable investment to come, public and private sectors must work hand in hand,” she said. “When trust is built, investment will follow.”
