Captain Abdel Wahab Alma'aitah Founder of Arab Divers

Born in 1957, Captain Abdel lived with clear direction from a very young age: he knew he loved Jordan and he knew he loved the sea. Enlisting in the army is a strong source of cultural pride for Bedouin Jordanians, and so when a Navy recruiting officer visited his school, Abdel didn’t wait for them to arrive – he ran outside to meet them.

At the tender age of 14, Abdel enlisted for Navy frogman training in 1971 – he was officially too young to join, but (as he told the recruiting officer) he was definitely “old enough to love Jordan”.

Training in storage tanks and other industrial settings was one thing. But when he graduated to the lush Red Sea and beyond, Abdel knew right away: he was hooked.

And he’s barely surfaced since (so, ‘happily ever after’).

On his way to becoming an official Naval Seal, the Captain’s decorated service career provided extensive opportunities to study and dive in a variety of locations. During this time, he began to imagine his eventual retirement from military service and shaped his dream for the future: a life lived loving diving and sharing his passion with others, in his homeland of Jordan.

And so it has been – with more than 3,000 commercial and recreational dives logged plus hundreds of certified students to date, you’ll rarely see the Captain dry.

Captain – Lieutenant commander of the Coast Guard (1986-1990)

Naval strategist – 1995-present

UN military observer - 1995

Marine security for Jordanian Embassy, Madrid (1983-1984)

Honours: Silver Jubilee Medal, Military Merit Medal 4th Grade, Service Badge

• PADI member since 2000 – IDC Staff Instructor

• Hundreds of recreational certified divers over the past 25 years

• Active environmental advocate & cleanup leader

• Marine Services consultant

• Founded Arab Divers in 1998 which eventually became Arab Divers Resort

Captain Abdel is famous around Aqaba for his active exploration, discovery, and area knowledge. We’re lucky to have someone so passionate about environmental stewardship and aquatic conservation here in our little gulf!

The Captain’s gift for inspiration has helped create some spectacular local programs – efforts with positive results we can truly see on our beaches and dive sites. It’s not easy caring for such a fragile and diverse environment, and the Captain works very hard.

That doesn’t mean he’s all business, though – quite the opposite. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to discover some of Aqaba’s best underwater sights, Abdel’s the guy to talk to. Not only does he know the area better than maybe anyone else around, he’s got the level of technical, recreational, and safety training and experience you can trust to guide you where you want to go and bring you back home safely, every time.