In a developing story, the Jordanian government has authorized the sale of the port of Aqaba to a foreign company investor or company for $500 million, with a transfer date scheduled for this month, December 2012. The estimated value of the Port of Aqaba is $5 billion. The Jordanian government planned to replace the current port with a new one that was supposed to have been completed by the transfer date, but the new port is not yet ready.
Jordan is already facing protests from fuel subsidy cuts, failed reform promises, unemployment, inflation and corruption. Last month, Jordan witnessed one of its biggest protests, dubbed “November Uprising”, in which for the first time the people called for King Abdullah’s resignation. On Friday, thousands of protesters gathered in Amman for a rally called “A Popular Uprising for Reform” headed by former Prime Minister Ahmed Obeidat, and backed by a broad coalition of opposition groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment