Ali H. Kolaghassi,
Vice Chairman & CEO, Saraya |
Modern tourism is very much about experience and
feelings. Gone are the days when a nation can expect
to achieve a thriving tourism industry without putting
a great deal of investment and planning into a broad
range of amenities. It also doesn’t hurt to
offer an experience that no other destination can.
Jordan has long been behind the times when it comes
to combining state of the art commercial planning
and investment with the kind of emotive experience
that is unique to this country of less than 6 million
people. Aqaba, a small port city occupying the southern
tip of Jordan, offers one of the most beautiful
settings on the Red Sea. Yet, it took the establishment
of a special economic zone, nearly five years ago,
to turn this once sleepy port, into a pivotal component
in Jordan’s quest to establish itself as a
top tourist destination spot.
"When you combine Aqaba with a couple of other
treasures that Jordan has to offer, that would make
what we call the golden triangle," said Ali
H. Kolaghassi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Saraya Holdings,
a real estate development and asset management company
based in Amman. This golden triangle would have
as its center, a development located in the heart
of Wadi Rum and Petra—one of the most spectacular
natural settings in the entire Middle East. The
Dead Sea would constitute the other vertice, connecting
with Aqaba far to the south. "This will allow
a visitor to stay ten to fourteen days, enjoying
three different kinds of natural, historical, and
leisure destinations," says Kolaghassi.
Saraya, a poetically beautiful word that refers
to an Ottoman palace, was formed in 2005 under the
chairmanship of Sheikh Saad Rafic Hariri, of Lebanon,
son of the late prime minister. This brought a tremendous
amount of plausibility to Saraya...so much so that,
for the nation of Jordan, the dictum "build
it, and they will come," was more than compelling.
There is a saying that goes—to deliver…
is rain, to promise… a cloud. According to
Kolaghassi, when an organization such as Sayara,
under the chairmanship of a Saad al-Hariri, comes
into a country like Jordan and is able to highlight
that which it has delivered in the past rather than
make a bunch of promises about what it might do
in the future… brings a tremendous credibility.
Jordan boasts some of
the world's most exotic coral reefs |
But credibility alone does not build successful
developments, or give them proper promotion. Planning…
across a broad range of subject matter, from environmental
impact, to job creation, is what turns vision into
reality.
Jordan’s tourism is Jordan’s oil, says
Kolaghassi. "We want to create an atmosphere
where people can come and enjoy. It’s important
to know who is the audience." The first thing
Saraya looked at, when doing its intensive study,
was demographics. Among the things that jumped out
was the region’s burgeoning middle class. With
salaries at a historic all time high, leisure activities
have become in great demand.
Saraya’s philosophy, as a developer, is one
of a sense of responsibility—to educate the
neighboring community. "People see this giant
coming in, putting a fence on 650,000 square meters,
doing air-shows, big promotions…and they are
not used to this," says Kolaghassi. "People
will begin to understand how important tourism is
once they realize the financial benefit."
Among the finest monuments
in all of Petra, the treasury building of the
Nabataean's is a mysterious edifice whose ornate
facade and shear size inspires awe in all who
visit. The name Petra itself, is derived from
the Latin word for rock. |
Over 3000 jobs have been created during the construction
phase, with expectations of over 6000 once full
operation begins. One thing Saraya did in Aqaba
was to establish an educational fund whereby qualified
high school graduates interested in gaining entry
into the hospitality industry, are sent abroad for
a period of training, then given jobs upon their
return to Jordan. "It shows that Saraya cares
about the people of Aqaba," says Kolaghassi,
a nine- year resident of the Washington D.C. area,
who cites Atlantic City, New Jersey as an example
of development that was put in at the expense of
the community.
Saraya Aqaba (a partnership between Saraya Jordan,
the Social Security Corporation, the Arab Bank and
the Aqaba Development Corporation) is set to commence
operations in January 2009. The project combines
shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural activities
within the context of an authentically styled ancient
city. In addition to participation in a massive
urban regeneration project in Amman. Saraya Dead
Sea will offer golf enthusiasts the opportunity
to play a round at 1300 feet below sea level without
getting wet.
Perhaps Jordan’s best source of promotion
abroad is not the Dead Sea, Aqaba, or even Petra,
but His Majesty himself… making Jordan, what
Kolaghassi calls a "hot spot" for investment.
King Abdullah II, says Kolaghassi, through eliminating
bureaucracy, creating stability and a sense of security,
"speaks the language that foreign investors
want to hear."
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Jordan 
