Aqaba:The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) has signed 16 partnership agreements with various private-sector companies and institutions as part of its Creating Shared Value (CSV) project. The signing ceremony, held on Thursday, was attended by ASEZA Chief Commissioner Shadi Majali, board members, and representatives from participating organizations and companies.
According to Jordan News Agency, this initiative aims to establish a structured framework for public-private partnerships, transitioning corporate social responsibility from isolated contributions to a more collaborative model. This approach will see stakeholders working together to identify community needs, develop solutions, and implement projects that benefit local residents.
Shadi Majali emphasized the importance of translating economic development into tangible improvements in people's lives by leveraging the resources and expertise of companies to support education, training, employment, entrepreneurship, and the development of community facilities and services.
Thabet Nabulsi, ASEZA Commissioner for Tourism and Youth Affairs and head of the project's committee, stated that the agreements will align private-sector contributions with the needs of local communities, expanding efforts in education, training, youth entrepreneurship, health initiatives, infrastructure development, and public parks.
Murad Bawab, ASEZA's Head of Delivery Unit, explained that the initiative was developed through various stages, including raising awareness of the shared value concept, engaging companies, mapping interested stakeholders, and identifying areas of cooperation. This led to the creation of 16 standardized framework agreements and a guide for managing the partnership system.
The agreements encompass a wide range of sectors such as real estate and investment development, logistics and transportation, food and manufacturing industries, water, tourism and hospitality, telecommunications and technology, metal and garment manufacturing, healthcare, and education.