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

The port of Aqaba in Jordan serves as a base for sending goods to Baghdad and Basra in Iraq, while a Turkish corridor is also allowing goods into northern Iraq.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

After its initial appearance in Jordan, the outbreak tore south down the Gulf of Aqaba into the Red Sea and beyond, reaching Oman by April 2023.

From Science Magazine • May 28, 2024

The Egyptian state news media reported that its forces had shot down a drone off the coast of Dahab, a beach town on the Gulf of Aqaba roughly 90 miles south of Eilat.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2023

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

Midian was properly the district which stretched along the western coast of the Gulf of Aqaba towards Mecca, if not towards Yemen.

From Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations by Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)