Media Advisory: Citi To Host "Invest In Aqaba" Seminar

NEW YORK, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT: With the support of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), a delegation from Aqaba, Jordan, will be in New York to highlight foreign investment opportunities in Aqaba for U.S. companies. The private sector delegation, convened by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), includes representatives from various sectors including industry and logistics, infrastructure and real estate, and tourism.

Aqaba is a strategically located safe haven sharing a coastline with Egypt and bordering Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and Israel at the mouth of the Red Sea. Last October the U.S. signaled its confidence in the Jordanian market by guaranteeing a landmark $1.25 billion in U.S.‑backed bonds. For global investors interested in accessing the regional market, Aqaba offers unparalleled advantages as a springboard thanks to free trade access to more than 1 billion consumers. Investment in the Aqaba region has already reached $20 billion, far greater than the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority's initial goal of $6 billion by 2020, and includes plans for a downtown city, three integrated tourist resorts, a $65 million LNG terminal, an $18 billion LPG pipeline to Iraq, an ambitious container terminal expansion, and a port revitalization project.

WHO: Dr. Kamel Mahadin, Chief Commissioner, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA); Dr. Umayya Toukan, Minister of Finance, Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Stuart E. Jones; Mr. Emad Kilani, CEO, Al Maabar Jordan; Mr. Mahmoud Zuaiter, CEO, Tala Bay (Jordan Projects for Tourism Development); Mr. Sheldon Fink, CEO, PBI Aqaba; Mr. Bashir Abu Rumman, Vice-President, Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC); Mr. Munir Asaad, General Manager, Aqaba Airports Company; and Mr. Hani Shatara, General Manager, Aqaba Air Cargo Terminal.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 24, 2014; 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.; networking/media sessions to follow.

WHERE: Offices of Citigroup: Auditorium, 12th Floor, 399 Park Avenue (at 53^rd St.), New York, NY 10022

PRESS RSVP: Registration is strictly required. If you are interested in attending the seminar, please RSVP to Tola St. Matthew-Daniel at [email protected] or 917-818-6196.

ABOUT BCIU: Established at President Eisenhower's initiative on November 10, 1955, the Business Council for International Understanding is a premier business association whose membership includes many of the world's largest multinational corporations in all major industries. BCIU promotes international understanding through dialogue and action by organizing briefings and off-the-record discussions between senior government officials and key business executives on issues of common concern, by facilitating public-private partnerships in the global marketplace, and by assisting stakeholders with problem-solving in turbulent situations and markets.

SOURCE Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU)