The Wave Continues- Interreg Cooperation Day 2026 in Aqaba, Jordan

Interreg NEXT MED will celebrate Interreg Cooperation Day 2026 in Aqaba, Jordan, with a community beach and underwater clean-up focused on protecting the Red Sea and raising awareness of marine litter.

The event will take place in the Aqaba Marine Reserve area, Aqaba, Jordan, on 29 September 2026, with registration starting at 08:40 and activities continuing until approximately 14:20.

Under the theme “The Wave Continues”, the event will combine a beach and dive clean-up, environmental awareness activities, planting, sustainable waste solutions and Waste-to-Art activities. Volunteer divers will collect waste from the marine area while participants take part in activities on the beach. The programme will also include sustainable waste-disposal solutions and the planting of native, drought-resilient trees suited to Aqaba’s coastal environment.

The event is organised by Interreg NEXT MED in collaboration with Oxfam Jordan, an international development organisation coordinating the implementation of the campaign, and the Delegation of the European Union to Jordan.

It is held in cooperation with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the public authority responsible for the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. ASEZA has hosted the Programme’s Eastern Mediterranean Branch Office in Aqaba for more than 15 years, across successive programming periods, and is also a partner in three Interreg NEXT MED projects.

The Aqaba Marine Reserve is also supporting the event and provides the environmental setting for the beach and underwater activities. The campaign aims not only to remove marine litter, including plastic waste and cigarette butts, but also to encourage responsible waste disposal and longer-term environmental action in Aqaba.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will participate through its 9Rs circular economy initiative in Aqaba, which promotes circular-economy approaches to waste and resource use. The programme will conclude with a visit to the 9Rs centre, where participants will learn more about the initiative and its work.

Check the agenda

For further information or inquiries

Dr. Esmat Karadsheh
Coordinator, Eastern Mediterranean Branch Office
Interreg NEXT MED Programme
ekaradsheh@aseza.jo

Waed Al Ajarmeh
Communication Officer, Eastern Mediterranean Branch Office
Interreg NEXT MED Programme
walajarmeh@aseza.jo

Photo credits: Interreg NEXT MED