Safe Ports Regional Gateway, a 1,000-acre site in Jordan intended to serve as a thriving hub for global businesses looking to become involved in the growing opportunities available throughout the Middle East, was announced at a signing ceremony in Amman including leaders of its three partners – Mafraq Development Corporation (MDC) of Jordan; Safe Ports, a US company with expertise in logistical operations; and the Jordanian Air Force (JAF).

Safe Ports Regional Gateway, a secure and economical inland port to begin initial operations in 2018 and grow in phases, will be a transshipment, distribution, warehousing and business hub facility. Located near the town of Al Mafraq within a Special Economic Zone, the master-planned site surrounds the King Hussein Air Base, with access to a 9800-foot runway, air traffic control tower and host of airfield support services.

“Given the potential to connect overland routes with access to major regional ports and a mixed-use airport,” said Lucy Duncan, chief executive officer, Safe Ports, “Safe Ports Regional Gateway can become a leading location for industrial production and a transportation hub for movement of goods throughout the region.”

In exclusive partnership with MDC and the JAF, Safe Ports is responsible for promotion, development and operations of this new regional logistics hub, located at the intersection of major trade routes connecting Jordan with Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Safe Ports has successfully run logistical operations for the US Department of Defense within the continental United States, and across the globe, including the MENA region and the Pacific Rim.

Utilizing its unique crossroads location—with airfield, highway and free-trade access—Safe Ports Regional Gateway will enable businesses and NGOs of all types who choose to locate there to maximize their participation in the anticipated increase of trade in the region, and to fulfill humanitarian missions.

The site of Safe Ports Regional Gateway is 47 miles north of Amman, Jordan and less than two miles from the Syrian border crossing, with direct road access to the Port of Haifa, Israel, and the Port of Aqaba, Jordan. Safe Ports Regional Gateway will benefit from extensive modern infrastructure developed for road networks, electricity, water supply and waste water, as well as fiber-optic connectivity.

Founded in 2005, Safe Ports is a US federal contractor and a commercial business based in Charleston, SC. Safe Ports specializes in logistics, inland port development, port security, disaster relief training and preparedness, and geospatial/environmental services. The company operates globally, with an emphasis on emerging markets or regions in transition.