On October 9, 2008, UJ signed an agreement with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) to establish a branch for UJ in Aqaba. His Majesty King Abdullah II laid the foundation stone for the Branch on April 30, 2009. The ASEZA will allocate 438 acres of its land for the Aqaba Branch, which will start receiving students beginning with the 2009/2010 academic year. The first phase of the project will include the faculties of Languages, Management and Finance, Tourism and Hospitality, Information Technology and Systems, and Marine Sciences, as well as a model school. The infrastructure of the Marine Science Station will be developed to accommodate the Faculty of Marine Sciences. A Faculty of Medicine, a hospital, sports halls and fields, a conference palace and an investment building are planned for the second phase. Students in the Aqaba Branch will be subject to the same tuition fees as those in the Amman Branch.