What JORDAN MARITIME COMMISSION does

Jordan Maritime Commission (الهيئة البحرية الأردنية), headquartered in the Al Nakheel region of Aqaba, is the statutory maritime regulatory authority of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, established by Royal Decree on 16 August 2002 under Maritime Authority Law No. 47 of 2002 and operating under the Ministry of Transport. It is the sole regulator of Jordan's maritime transport sector and the only port state control body for Aqaba — Jordan's sole maritime port — carrying out flag state, port state, and coastal state responsibilities in alignment with IMO conventions (SOLAS, STCW, MARPOL) and the Mediterranean MoU on port state control.

Its core service portfolio covers ship registration under the Jordanian flag, initial and continuous survey and inspection of vessels, document verification, issuance of safety and Continuous Synopsis Record certificates, seafarer certification and endorsement (Master, Officer in Charge of Navigational Watch, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, GOC/GMDSS, Electro-Technical Officer), licensing of maritime service companies (shipping agencies, freight forwarders, ship chandlers, marine maintenance), and accident investigation. The authority also licenses and validates maritime education institutes for STCW compliance and works with the World Maritime University and Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport on capacity building. Underlying technology is conventional and operational rather than AI-driven: a Vessel Traffic System for monitoring ship movements within territorial waters, a Coastal Station for maritime communications, an online electronic certificate verification portal covering more than ten seafarer qualification types, and an online ship registration fee calculator that prices registrations by ship type, tonnage, and age. EU recognition of JMC-issued maritime certificates was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 December 2012, and bilateral mutual-recognition MoUs have been signed with the UK Maritime Agency and Coastguard, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Kingdom of Spain.

JMC operates a pure transaction-fee revenue model across four streams: ship registration fees (initial, annual for vessels over 150 GT, plus surcharges for vessels over 20 years old), maritime service fees (survey, inspection, document verification, CSR), seafarer certification and endorsement fees, and maritime service company licensing fees. The published fee schedule is publicly disclosed and accessible via the online calculator. The authority goes to market directly through its Aqaba headquarters with no intermediary resellers, supplemented by self-service digital portals for fee calculation and certificate verification, and markets institutionally via its jma.gov.jo website, Facebook, YouTube, press releases, and participation in regional conferences and workshops. Customer segments include shipping companies operating Jordanian-flagged vessels (primary), seafarers and maritime personnel (primary), maritime service providers requiring licensing (secondary), and foreign ship operators visiting Aqaba requiring port state control inspection (secondary).

Name

JORDAN MARITIME COMMISSION

Legal name

Jordan Maritime Commission (الهيئة البحرية الأردنية)

Website

https://jma.gov.jo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Jordan Maritime Commission is Jordan's sole government maritime regulatory authority, headquartered in Aqaba. Established in 2002, it regulates ship registration, seafarer certification, port state control, and licensing of maritime service companies, serving shipping firms, seafarers, and foreign vessels transiting Aqaba.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation Regulators (Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road) (BPAIAOAL), Ship & Port Security Audits, Inspections & Certification (Flag/Class/PSC Support) (TLAHANAD)

Keywords

• Maritime regulatory authority
• Ship registration services
• Seafarer certification
• Port state control
• Maritime licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Aqaba

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ship Registration Fees: Fees collected for initial ship registration, temporary registration, annual fees for ships over 150 tons, and fees for ships over 20 years old
2. Maritime Service Fees: Fees for various services including ship survey and inspection, document verification, maritime licenses, safety certificates, and Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR)
3. Seafarer Certification Fees: Fees for issuing seafarer books, maritime certificates, and endorsements for marine officers and engineers
4. Company Licensing Fees: Fees for licensing companies engaged in maritime activities including shipping agencies, freight forwarding, ship chandling, and marine maintenance services

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Jordan Maritime Commission is the statutory government authority that regulates, monitors and develops Jordan's maritime transport sector. It provides ship registration under the Jordanian flag, seafarer qualification and endorsement certification compliant with STCW, port state control inspections under the Mediterranean MoU, licensing of maritime service providers, vessel surveys and safety inspections, accident investigation, and coastal/vessel traffic monitoring, supported by an online fee calculator and an electronic certificate verification system.

Product overview

The Jordan Maritime Commission operates as a regulatory and administrative government authority rather than a commercial product company. Its digital service offerings consist of two internal-facing online systems: a Ship Registration Fee Calculator for computing statutory fees associated with registering vessels under the Jordanian flag, and a Marine Certification Verification System for validating seafarer qualification certificates. The Commission's broader service portfolio is primarily composed of regulatory functions including ship registration, maritime safety and security, ship inspection under the Mediterranean MoU, seafarer affairs management, and issuance of various statutory maritime certificates and licenses. The two named digital tools function as self-service portals supporting the Commission's core regulatory mandate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ship Registration under the Jordanian Flag Statutory flag-state service for shipowners registering vessels under the Jordanian flag, including initial registration, annual fees for ships over 150 gross tons, additional fees for ships over 20 years old, and supporting surveys and documentation.
• Seafarer Certification and Endorsement Services Issuance of STCW-compliant qualification certificates, seafarer books, endorsement certificates and Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR) documents for marine officers, marine engineers and cadets, recognized by the EU and bilaterally by the UK, UAE and Spain.
• Maritime Service Company Licensing Statutory licensing of companies engaged in maritime activities in Jordan, including shipping agencies, freight forwarding, ship chandling, ship brokerage and marine maintenance services.
• Port State Control Inspections Inspection of foreign-flagged vessels calling at the Port of Aqaba for compliance with international maritime safety, security and environmental standards under the Mediterranean MoU on port state control.
• Vessel Survey, Inspection and Safety Certification Ship survey and inspection services with issuance of statutory safety certificates for vessels registered under the Jordanian flag or calling at the Port of Aqaba.
• Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Coastal Communications Continuous monitoring of ship movements within Jordanian territorial waters via the Vessel Traffic System (VTS) and Coastal Station maritime communications infrastructure, ensuring safety and efficiency of navigation.
• Maritime Accident Investigation Statutory investigation and response function for maritime accidents and risks affecting Jordanian waters and the Port of Aqaba, including crisis management and emergency response protocols.
• Marine Certification Verification System Online electronic system for verifying seafarer qualification and endorsement certificates, supporting searches by certificate number and type including Master, OICNW, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Chief Mate, OICEW, ETO, GOC (GMDSS) and Ships Of 200 GT And Less ratings.
• Ship Registration Fee Calculator Electronic self-service calculator that computes statutory ship registration fees under the Jordanian flag based on ship type, year of construction and net tonnage, providing breakdowns of registration, inspection, documentation, annual and security certification charges.

Quantifiable outcome

• EU recognition of Jordanian maritime certificates since December 2012
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and regional.

• UAE Ministry of Energy and InfrastructuremajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2024Renewal of MoU for mutual recognition of seafarer certifications between Jordan and UAE, facilitating cross-border employment of maritime personnel and promoting joint training and education initiatives.
• United Kingdom Maritime Agency and CoastguardmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023MoU for mutual recognition of seafarer certifications between Jordanian-flagged ships and UK Red Ensign Group vessels, enabling Jordanian seafarers to work on UK-flagged vessels and vice versa.
• Kingdom of SpainmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2023MoU for mutual recognition of seafarer certifications signed during the Royal Visit to Spain, enabling Jordanian seafarers to serve on Spanish-flagged vessels.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreOthersUN specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of maritime pollution. Jordan implements IMO conventions and participates in international maritime forums.
• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)coreOthersEU agency supporting maritime safety and pollution prevention. Partner in Mediterranean maritime safety initiatives.
• Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime TransportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional maritime education institution. Jordan participates in the Executive Council meetings and collaborates on maritime training and education standards.
• Egyptian Ministry of TransportregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Technical Committee for Maritime Transport convenes regularly to discuss bilateral cooperation, maritime training, port operations, and mutual recognition of certifications.
• British Ministry of TransportregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop on port crisis management held in Aqaba, with participation from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, focusing on maritime emergency response.
• Mediterranean MoU CommitteecoreOthersRegional memorandum of understanding for port state control. Jordan conducts inspections on foreign vessels visiting Aqaba in compliance with MedMoU requirements.
• Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)coreOthersGoverning authority for the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, coordinating maritime development within the zone.
• World Maritime University (WMU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational maritime university providing postgraduate education. Partner in maritime capacity building and professional development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator: The Republic of the Marshall Islands operates one of the largest open registries in the world, delivering flag administration, seafarer certification, and safety oversight from a small-country base – closely analogous to JMC's mandate.
• Bahamas Maritime Authority: The Bahamas Maritime Authority administers a large international ship registry, issues seafarer certifications, and conducts vessel inspections. Like JMC, it is a small-state flag administrator that competes on quality of regulatory service.
• Panama Maritime Authority: Panama's national maritime regulator is the world's largest ship registry and is structurally identical to JMC: a state authority managing flag state, port state, and seafarer certification functions. Panama's scale illustrates the upper bound of what a national maritime authority can become.
• Malta Transport Centre / Transport Malta: Malta's maritime authority runs one of Europe's largest ship registries with full flag state, port state, and seafarer certification functions. It is a directly comparable national maritime regulator serving a small country with ambitions to grow its registry internationally.
• Liberian Registry (LISCR): The Liberian Maritime Authority is one of the world's largest open ship registries, providing flag state services, seafarer certification, and vessel inspections. It is a directly comparable model of a small-country maritime regulator that has scaled globally.
• Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping (DMS): Cyprus's DMS is a national maritime regulator for a small Eastern Mediterranean country, administering a sizeable ship registry and seafarer certification regime. It is a structurally close peer to JMC in terms of mandate, country scale, and Mediterranean positioning.
• UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (Maritime Affairs): The UAE maritime regulatory counterpart that signed a 2024 mutual recognition MoU with JMC for seafarer certificates. It is a regional peer operating a national flag registry, certification regime, and port state control functions in the Gulf.

Broad incumbents

• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (UK): The UK MCA is the counterpart to JMC under the 2024 mutual recognition MoU and operates as a comprehensive maritime safety, certification, and enforcement agency. It is much larger and broader in scope but executes the same core functions JMC performs for Jordan.

Regional players

• Egyptian Maritime Transport Sector (Ministry of Transport): Egypt's maritime authority is a regional peer that JMC coordinates with through the Joint Technical Committee for Maritime Transport. Egypt operates substantially larger ports and registries but shares the same regulatory mandate within the Eastern Mediterranean / Red Sea corridor.
• Saudi Transport General Authority (Maritime): Saudi Arabia's maritime regulatory authority is a regional peer with a substantially larger mandate, given the scale of Red Sea traffic. JMC engages with Saudi counterparts via joint workshops, and Saudi Arabia is both a competitor port (NEOM/regional hubs) and a coordination partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfwWmHF8dw2VgOsS6zDG3Tw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/JMA.GOV.JO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jordan-maritime-commission

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about JORDAN MARITIME COMMISSION