It is one of the governorates of Jordan, it is located to the south of Amman, the capital of Jordan. Its capital is Aqaba. Aqaba is the principal port in the Red Sea, an important role plays in the economic life of Jordan and attracts many vacationers. The Jordanian Saudi border originally controlled a few kilometres to the south of Aqaba. In 1965 the last King Hussein changed 12 kilometres of the coastal strip of value for the desert of 6,000 kilometres. This it is an industrial port and is located well far from the beaches and hotels of tourist activities.

Aqaba Governorate

Topographically, the region is divided into three sections. From the Gulf of Aqaba northward, the land gradually rises for 77 km, reaching a height of 230 m above sea level. From this height at the Dead Sea and Red Sea watershed divide, the land gradually slopes down to a point 15 km south of the Dead Sea. From there, the Arabah drops sharply to meet the Dead Sea, which at 417m below sea level is the lowest point on earth.

The Arabah is very hot and dry, and consequently only lightly populated; there are almost no settlements on its Jordanian side and just a few kibbutzim on the Israeli. The oldest kibbutz in the Arabah is Kibbutz Yotvata, founded in 1957. Yotvata was named for an ancient town in the Arabah that is mentioned once in the Bible. Kibbutz Lotan, which is one of Israel's newest kibbutzim, has a bird-watching center.

In ancient times, the Arabah region was more settled than it is today. In Biblical times the area was a center of copper production; King Solomon apparently had mines here. The Arabah was home to the Edomites . East of the Arabah was the domain of the Nabateans, the builders of the fabulous city of Petra.