Gulf of Aqaba

The Gulf of Aqaba or Gulf of Eilat (Arabic: خليج العقبة‎, transliterated: Khalyj al-'Aqabah; Hebrew: מפרץ אילת‎, transliterated: Mifratz Eilat) is a large gulf at the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian mainland. Its coastline is divided between four countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Geography

The gulf is east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian Peninsula. With the Gulf of Suez to the west, it extends from the northern portion of the Red Sea. It reaches a maximum depth of 1,850 m in its central area: the Gulf of Suez is significantly wider but less than 100 m deep.

The gulf measures 24 kilometres (15 mi) at its widest point and stretches some 160 kilometres (99 mi) north from the Straits of Tiran to where Israel meets Egypt and Jordan.

Like the coastal waters of the Red Sea, the gulf is one of the world's premier sites for diving. The area is especially rich in coral and other marine biodiversity and has accidental shipwrecks and vessels deliberately sunk in an effort to provide a habitat for marine organisms and bolster the local dive tourism industry.

Aqaba

Aqaba (English pronunciation: /ˈækəbə/; alternatively spelled Akaba; Arabic: العقبة‎), is the only coastal city of Jordan, with an estimated population of 140,000 and a land area of 375 square kilometres (144.8 sq mi). The city's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea, has made its port important over the course of thousands of years. As Ancient Aela, the former bishopric remains a Latin Catholic titular see. Today, the port plays a primary role in the kingdom's economy, it also serves several countries in the region.

The city of Aqaba is the capital of Aqaba Governorate, it is also the largest city in the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has placed it in Jordan's golden triangle of tourism, which strengthened the city's location on the world map and made it one of the major tourist attractions in Jordan. It is known today as a liberal Arab city with its warm calm waters that made its marine life boom. It has taken large share of Jordan's mega projects, project like Ayla Oasis, Saraya Aqaba, Marsa Zayed and The Red Sea Astrarium. They are expected to turn the city into a major tourism hub in the region. However, industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport.