Plans for a spectacular $1.5 billion leisure destination to be built in Jordan’s Aqaba were revealed yesterday (May 25). The Red Sea Astrarium will have state-of-the-art entertainment attractions.

 

The project is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs for the local community, a statement said.

 

At a ceremony, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdalla Ensour, the layout for land development, entertainment designs and architectural and engineering plans were revealed.

 

The project will include four-world-class hotels, an expansive retail and dining district, a theatre that will bring globally renowned shows to Aqaba, a 4D cinema, an exhilarating water park and an entertainment district that includes 16 attractions - 15 designed by Rubicon Group Holding, an international group founded and headquartered in Jordan, and the 16th attraction based on Star Trek, the CBS-owned property designed by Paramount Pictures. 

 

The 184-acre themed entertainment resort was ‘virtually’ brought to life at a purpose-built cyclorama with 360-degree virtual reality projection, designed to give delegates attending the World Economic Forum in Jordan a taste of the Red Sea Astrarium experience. 

 

The showcase highlighted how the Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA) will become a diverse leisure destination that is themed around the entertainment attractions drawing from the past, the present and the future of the region. The resort will also host the American Museum of Natural History's Silk Road Exhibition throughout its Hijazi Gardens. 

 

The ceremony, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdalla Ensour, demonstrated the technology behind attractions at the project that will catapult Jordan to the forefront for interactive experiences, including a global first for 4D inverted simulation, the statement said.

 

The chief commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone, Dr Kamel Mahadin, highlighted details of the resort that will make it the first of its kind in the world. 

 

Dr Mahadin said: “A major goal in the design of The Red Sea Astrarium is to actively engage the local communities through training with on-site hospitality academies, job creation, promoting the length of a tourist’s stay and encouraging repeat visitation. The entertainment resort will undeniably transform the Aqaba region and make it a high-end tourism hub for Jordan. It will do so whilst telling stories from our regional culture, integrating alternative energy sources and promoting the development of the entertainment industry in Jordan.” – TradeArabia News Service