Al Maabar Aqaba Real Estate Development Company and The Jordan River Foundation (JRF) signed on May 1st, 2012 an agreement in the Queen Rania Al Abdullah Center for Community Empowerment (QRACCE), to implement developmental projects targeting different segments of the community in the city of Aqaba.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Yousef Al Nowais, Chairman of Al Maabar Jordan Investments and Ms. Valentina Qussisiya, the Director General of JRF.
Both JRF and Al Maabar agreed on the formation of a mutual coordinating committee, which will be responsible for the implementation of the action plans of the agreed upon suggested projects, timeframes and budget allocated for the programs that will be implemented in cooperation between the two parties through the QRACCE, this committee will also supervise work progress.
The agreement entails that the programs to be implemented will cover socio-economic aspects, youth segment in addition to the development of Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) to enhance their contribution to community development in Aqaba.
Eng. Ghaleb Al Qudah, JRF’s Deputy Director General and Director of the Jordan River Community Empowerment Program presented the main interventions that will be implemented under the agreement in the city of Aqaba, indicating the main challenges in terms of development.
Eng. Qudah explained that the programs that will be implemented under the JRF and Al Maabar partnership, aim at enhancing livelihoods of individuals and families and improving CBO’s performance, this will be achieved through JRF’s empowerment programs including capacity building, income generating projects, revolving loans, needs assessments, in addition to empowering them in project management including technical and financial aspects, encouraging them to develop income – generating projects to enhance their quality of life and create employment opportunities.
Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Yousef Al Nowais, Chairman of Al Maabar Jordan Investments, states: "This agreement aligns with the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II for the development of Aqaba as a future business gateway for Jordan. It underlines the importance of public and private sector partnerships and the essential role of investment projects such as Marsa Zayed in achieving the desired growth and development."
He added: "We chose the Jordan River Foundation to help us implement our development initiatives in Aqaba because of the already existing harmony between their community programs and our own social responsibility strategy, which is focused on encouraging talent and education, the regeneration of communities, protection of the environment and also on heritage preservation."
Mr. Al Nowais further noted that this agreement also shows how Al Maabar is keen to achieve synergies between its projects and the local communities in which it operates and that Al Maabar takes seriously its responsibility of bringing opportunity, prosperity and optimism to its partner counties. Al Maabar’s Marsa Zayed project has a key role to play in transforming Aqaba into an advanced trade and tourism hub in the region
In terms of social development, JRF and Al Maabar will implement child protection programs within their families and living environment, in addition to enhancing family dynamics through tackling issues related to child, families and schools.
Eng. Al Qudah added that “the purpose of the youth programs is to increase our youths’ socio-economic capacities, motivating them to become active members of their communities and to participate in decision making, in addition to encouraging them to establish communication channels with social experts and the community in general”.
JRF and Al Maabar’s partnership also takes into consideration building the capacity of CBO’s specially those targeting youth to emphasize positive values in them such as citizenship, social responsibility and education, helping the youth to realize the connection between their needs and the communities needs with the available resources in order to create effective socio-economic initiatives.
Al Maabar – Profile
Rooted in the culture, values and vision of Abu Dhabi, we at Al Maabar create landmark, mixed-used real estate developments across the MENA region. Our destinations work in harmony with local heritage and environments to add real value to the communities and host countries they serve. With our key projects underway in Jordan (Marsa Zayed in Aqaba and The St. Regis Amman and The Residences at The St. Regis Amman) and Morocco (Bab Al Bahr), Al Maabar is already earning a reputation for considered, sustainable developments that are designed to regenerate communities and ignite economic potential.
With the country’s leading real estate and investment powerhouses among our shareholders (Mubadala Development Company PJSC, Aldar Properties PJSC, Al Qudra Holdings PSC, Reem Investments PSC and Reem International LLC) there is no doubt in our economic credentials. This, combined with our respectful and forward-thinking attitude, uniquely qualifies us to add value, stability and longevity to all our projects and partnerships. Al Maabar is furthering Abu Dhabi’s distinguished reputation for wisely considered and thoughtfully implemented, global investment.