Al Maabar inaugurates Sheikh Zayed Masjid in Aqaba, Jordan

Presided by the UAE Ambassador to Jordan H.E. Dr. Abdullah al-Amiri, H.E. Mr. Yousef Al Nowais, Managing Director of Al Maabar, and held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Kamel Mahadin, Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, those in attendance of the inauguration ceremony, witnessed the laying of the foundation stone.

The inauguration of Sheikh Zayed Masjid marks a major milestone in the first phase of the Marsa Zayed project, Al Maabar's flagship project in Jordan.

During the press conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba following the inauguration ceremony, H.E. Yousef Al Nowais said: "Laying the foundation stone for the Sheikh Zayed Masjid marks a key project milestone that is representative of the first stepping stone in the construction of Marsa Zayed. The 3,890 square meter mosque in Aqaba will include separate prayer halls for men and women, additional prayer rooms for Eid and other religious celebrations, a centre for culture & humanities and a learning centre for the reciting of the Holy Quran. Gardens and decorated water basins will surround the exterior of the mosque to enhance the overall sense of serenity."

H.E. Yousef Al Nowais also expressed his gratitude to H.E. Dr. Abdullah al-Amiri, the UAE Ambassador to Jordan, the Jordanian government and Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for their continued support and commitment to Marsa Zayed project.

Marsa Zayed's first project milestone entails the completion of Sheikh Zayed Masjid, while the second project milestone will be the completion of Al Raha Village, soon to be launched, which includes 450 residential units, a clubhouse and serviced by a wide range of community living facilities that will provide a unique and serene lifestyle for the residents of Aqaba. Meanwhile, the infrastructure work will start within two monthsfrom December for an execution of 24 months.

In Nov. 2012, Al Maabar appointed the Amman-based Central Contracting Est. as the main contractor for the construction of the Sheikh Zayed Masjid for the duration of 16 months. Sheikh Zayed Masjid also won the Best Public Service Architecture Award which was presented to Dar Al Omran during Arabian Property Awards 2012.

MarsaZayed, named in memory of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is not only the largest mixed-use development project in Jordan, but also in the region, encompassing 3.2 million square meters of built-up area, which will include apartments, townhouses, high-rise residential, retail spaces, hotels, recreation, entertainment, business and financial districts.

Al Maabar is a partnership between Abu Dhabi's leading six real estate and investment powerhouses including Mubadala, Aldar Properties, Sorouh, Al Qudra Holding, Reem Investments and Reem International.

The company has two key projects in Jordan: MarsaZayed in Aqaba - one of the largest mixed-use projects in the region - and The St. Regis Amman and The Residences at The St. Regis Amman, which consists of a hotel and two residential towers.