The tournament will continue until September 6, with the participation of more than 100 male and female players representing 20 countries, in an exceptional sporting and tourism event that reflects the development of Aqaba and Ayla Oasis in organizing international events.
The opening was attended by the CEO of Ayla Oasis Development Company, Eng. Sahl Dudin, the Commissioner of Tourism and Youth at the Aqaba Special Economic Authority, Thabet Al-Nabulsi, the President of the Jordan Golf Federation, Nasser Al-Shomali, and the Director of the Tournament, Alaa Barakat.
This tournament is jointly organized by Ayla Oasis Development Company, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and the Jordan Golf Federation, with the support of the Jordan Olympic Committee and the Arab Golf Federation, within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at consolidating Jordan’s position on the map of quality sports and enhancing tourism and economic mobility in Aqaba.
The Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Eng. Shadi Ramzi, Abdulsalam Al-Majali, said that the launch of the Jordan Open Golf Championship in its 34th edition constitutes an additional step in Aqaba’s march towards becoming a global sports destination, pointing out that it is a practical translation of our strategic vision in enhancing Aqaba’s position as an integrated destination that combines sports, tourism, and investment.
Al-Majali added that through our partnership with Ayla Oasis Development Company, we affirm our commitment to providing an advanced organizational environment that attracts elite athletes from various countries of the world, and highlights the unique capabilities that Aqaba enjoys in terms of infrastructure, geographical location, and tourism diversity, indicating that this tournament opens new horizons for Aqaba, and contributes to activating economic mobility, raising hotel occupancy rates, and enhancing Jordan’s image globally as a country capable of organizing quality sports events according to the highest international standards, stressing that the Aqaba Authority In partnership with all tourism, sports and logistics sectors, we are confidently moving towards achieving our ambitions to make Aqaba a sustainable sports and tourism platform, serving the local community and contributing to comprehensive national development.
The Executive Director of Ayla Oasis Company, Eng. Sahl Dudin, stressed that the tournament represents a true translation of Ayla’s vision to achieve sustainable development through sports, pointing out that Aqaba has an advanced infrastructure that qualifies it to host international championships, which contributes to raising hotel occupancy rates, stimulating economic movement, and consolidating Jordan’s position on the global sports tourism map.
Dudin pointed out that the tournament constitutes a new start towards a more ambitious phase of major events and qualitative activities, which serve the tourism sector and enhance the attractiveness of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone as a promising investment and tourism destination, indicating that “Ayla” has taken upon itself to contribute effectively to the comprehensive development, in close cooperation with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and the Tourism Promotion Authority, in addition to supporting partners from the private sector and media institutions, in order to ensure the achievement of a tangible economic impact on the largest possible segment. The tournament, which is attended by hundreds of athletes and is watched by hundreds of thousands around the world, confidently puts Aqaba on the map of major events in the sport of golf, and consolidates its position as a global platform for quality sports and high-value-added activities.
The past days have witnessed intensive preparations within Ayla Club, where technical, logistical and media teams worked to prepare the stadium according to the highest international specifications, to ensure an ideal competitive environment, while specialized committees were formed to cover all organizational aspects, starting from receiving delegations, passing through media coverage, to providing medical and sports services to the participants.
Teams from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, as well as a number of European and Asian countries are participating in the tournament, reflecting the growing international momentum of the tournament and confirming the attractiveness of Aqaba as an integrated sports and tourism center.
Nasser Al-Shomali, Vice President of the Jordan Golf Federation, confirmed that the tournament is subject to the international amateur ranking, and constitutes a great incentive for players to achieve distinguished achievements, which enhances Jordan’s position as a global sports destination, pointing out that the Jordanian team has completed its preparations and preparations to participate with great ambition, through intensive training and rehabilitation programs aimed at raising its technical and psychological readiness.
The effects of the tournament are directly reflected on the city of Aqaba, which witnesses an active tourism movement during the days of the event, with the arrival of players, escorts and the public from inside and outside Jordan, which contributes to the revitalization of economic sectors related to tourism, such as hotels, restaurants, transportation, and logistics, and enhances Aqaba’s position as an integrated tourist destination that combines sports, entertainment, and picturesque nature Global sports.
For his part, the tournament director, Alaa Barakat, pointed out that this edition constitutes a turning point in the tournament’s journey, in terms of the quality of organization and the quality of participation, stressing that the great turnout for registration reflects the growing confidence in the Kingdom as an ideal center for organizing international sporting events.
The tournament coincides with a package of tourism and cultural activities organized by Ayla, including the “Ayla Feather Bird Trail”, which reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable development and the integration of sports and nature, and this trail is a unique model of environmental harmony, as it extends over carefully designed water bodies and green areas, which form a habitat for migratory and endemic birds.
The Jordan Open Golf Championship is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the Middle East, and this year it establishes an unprecedented stage of value-added events at the local and international levels, and consolidates Aqaba’s position as a promising sports and tourism destination in the region Advanced Sporting Services (ABS), along with all the supporting entities that played a pivotal role in the success of this major sporting event.
The committee praised the efforts of these institutions and the qualitative support they provided to sports, tourism and sports events, which contributed to consolidating the tournament as a leading sporting event with a wide economic, tourism and social impact that represents Jordan’s name before the world.