Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad, the King’s chief advisor for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, Monday inaugurated an astronomical observatory, which was built on Jabal Umm Al Dami in the Wadi Rum region.
Prince Ghazi was briefed by astronomer Imad Mujahid on the importance of the observatory, which, he said, is a new tourism product for astronomical tourism that suits the nature of Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon, so that a tourist can scan the sky, planets, stars and galaxies.
The observatory, which was established by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), aims to monitor celestial bodies and various astronomical phenomena and raise knowledge of astronomy through involving tourists, university students and stakeholders in this domain, as well as expand scientific tourism in Jordan by attracting astronomers and educational institutions.
The Umm Al Dami Mountain peak was chosen as a site that meets observatory construction criteria, as it is located in a flat region within a hill range and on the highest peak in southern Jordan, which rises 1,854 meters above sea level, adding that the “higher the observatory, the clearer the sky will be.”
The observatory’s construction is part of the ASEZA vision of boosting tourism by adding a new tourism product “with the aim of enhancing in bound and internal tourism and highlighting tourism diversity in the Kingdom.”
The opening ceremony was attended by ASEZA Chief Commissioner Nayef Bakhit.
Source: Jordan News Agency