Aqaba

American  

[ah-kuh-buh, ak-uh-] / ˈɑ kə bə, ˈæk ə- /

Also Akaba

noun

1. a seaport in southwestern Jordan, at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba.

2. Gulf of Aqaba, an arm of the Red Sea, between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 100 miles (160 km) long.

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Aqaba British  

/ ˈækəbə /

noun

1. the only port in Jordan, in the southwest, on the Gulf of Aqaba . Pop: 80 790 (2004)

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Etymology

Origin of Aqaba

First recorded in 1905–10; from Arabic; shortening of al-ʿaqabat Aylah “the mountain pass of Aylah”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Aqaba

At least one attack targeted Jordan’s only port, Aqaba.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

A spokesman for Adalah said activists from Egypt had been transferred to Taba at Egypt's border with Israel, while those from Jordan had been transferred to Aqaba.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

Starting in late 2022, urchins had been dying en masse at the gulf’s northern terminus near Aqaba, Jordan.

From Science Magazine ● May 28, 2024

The spiky creatures - with defensive spines up to 50cm long - are familiar to scuba divers and snorkelers who flock to the Gulf of Aqaba for its clear waters.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2023

This cape forms the tip of Arabia Petraea, which lies between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by F. P. Walter