Aqaba, Jordan :: Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali welcomes Logos Hope to Aqaba in official opening ceremony.
Logos Hope was warmly welcomed to Aqaba in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan by a local cultural performance on the quayside. Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali officially opened the Visitor Experience Deck to the public on the 26th of January 2023.
During the official opening ceremony Captain James Berry said, “This is the first visit to Aqaba for Logos Hope. It’s a special place, but also a very friendly people. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly. Logos Hope has a unique crew of around 350 people from more than 65 different nations, but we all work together. I hope from this great friendliness that we will be able to make many friends here in Jordan.”
Her Royal Highness responded, “We have a proud tradition of reading and a very ancient tradition of spreading knowledge through the written word. Here in Jordan, the first printing press was established right at the time of the inception of our kingdom in the early 20th century, so Jordanians are acutely aware of the beauty, the importance and the value of books. It gives me great pleasure to welcome the largest floating bookfair in the world, Logos Hope, here in Aqaba. You are carrying one of the most valuable commodities in the world, knowledge. The power of culture, that works through tools like books, cinema and arts, is how we learn about ourselves and others. It is how we build mutual respect for one another’s opinions and ideas. This is always a valuable opportunity as we both get to know one another. I look forward to more exchanges.”
Chief Commissioner His Excellency Mr. Nayef Al-Fayez added, “This is a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, culture and, most importantly, human connections. You are all welcome to visit our city, meet our people, try our wonderful food and gain a sense of our culture and history. I wish I could say ‘welcome’ in all your different languages, but I’m sure you will all feel our Jordanian hospitality.”
Logos Hope crew truly value making friends in each port, getting to know people and their cultures, and are looking forward to this here in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.