Flat corporate income tax
Registered ASEZ companies pay a 5% flat corporate income tax, against Jordan's 20% standard corporate rate. The lower cost base is the zone's headline advantage.
Definition · The zone
What is ASEZ?
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) is a duty-free, low-tax economic zone on Jordan's Red Sea coast at Aqaba, governed by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). It offers a 5% flat corporate income tax, duty-free imports, and 100% foreign company ownership, which makes Aqaba Jordan's primary zone for trade, logistics, and AI operations.
5%Corporate tax
100%Foreign ownership
UTC+3Time zone
A free economic zone on the Red Sea
Aqaba is Jordan's only coastline and the site of its single deep-water commercial port. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone is the regulatory framework built around it: one authority, ASEZA, governs company registration, customs, and licensing across the whole zone, instead of the multi-agency process that complicates operations elsewhere in the country.
For a company, that framework turns into a concrete cost base. A 5% flat corporate income tax sits against the 20% standard Jordanian rate; imports are duty-free; and a foreign national can own 100% of a registered company without a local partner. Aqaba sits on a UTC+3 time zone with reach into Gulf, Levant, and European markets.
ASEZ is where STEADYWRK is built and run. The same cost base and time zone that make the zone attractive for trade and logistics make it a structural fit for AI operations — low overhead, broad coverage, one regulatory window.
The framework
What the zone offers
Four properties define the ASEZ cost base. Each is set by ASEZA and applies to any company registered inside the zone.
Foreign ownership
A foreign national can own 100% of an Aqaba-registered company, with no mandatory local partner — uncommon in the region and a direct draw for international operators.
Imports and exemptions
Duty-free imports and sales-tax exemptions on most goods, including the technology and equipment an operations company needs to set up and run.
Time zone and port
A UTC+3 time zone overlapping Gulf, Levant, and European business hours, plus Jordan's only deep-water commercial port — coverage and logistics in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is ASEZ?
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) is a duty-free, low-tax economic zone on Jordan's Red Sea coast at Aqaba, governed by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). It offers a 5% flat corporate income tax, duty-free imports, and 100% foreign company ownership, which makes Aqaba Jordan's primary zone for trade, logistics, and AI operations.
Where is the Aqaba Special Economic Zone?
ASEZ covers the city of Aqaba on Jordan's Red Sea coast — the country's only coastline and the site of its sole deep-water commercial port. It runs on a UTC+3 time zone that overlaps Gulf, Levant, and European business hours.
What tax rate applies in ASEZ?
Registered ASEZ companies pay a 5% flat corporate income tax, against the 20% standard Jordanian corporate rate, alongside duty-free imports and sales-tax exemptions on most goods. That lower cost base is the zone's core draw.
Can foreigners own a company in ASEZ?
Yes. ASEZ permits 100% foreign ownership of a registered company, with no mandatory local partner, under a single regulatory body (ASEZA) rather than a patchwork of separate agencies.
Who governs ASEZ?
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) is the single body that regulates the zone — company registration, customs, and licensing — which is what gives ASEZ its one-window, streamlined setup instead of the multi-agency process common elsewhere.
Why do AI operations companies choose ASEZ?
The combination of a 5% corporate income tax, duty-free technology imports, 100% foreign ownership, and a UTC+3 time zone with proximity to both Gulf and Levant markets creates a structural cost-and-coverage advantage for running operations from Aqaba. It is why STEADYWRK is built there.
Built in ASEZ. Operating globally.
STEADYWRK runs AI field operations from Aqaba, inside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. See why the zone is the base — or join the team building from it.