King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) serves Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city and its gateway to the Red Sea, and a rental car opens up some of the country's most striking desert scenery within a couple of hours' drive. The airport sits a short distance north of Aqaba itself, with rental counters from international and local companies operating inside the terminal, and pickup is generally straightforward given the airport's manageable size relative to Amman's larger hub further north.
From AQJ, the Desert Highway runs north from Aqaba through increasingly dramatic desert landscape, reaching the turnoff for Wadi Rum, the vast protected desert of red sand and towering sandstone formations, in roughly forty-five minutes to an hour. Continuing further north, the ancient city of Petra, carved into rose-colored rock and one of the most visited sites in the Middle East, is reachable in around two hours via the Desert Highway or the slower, more scenic King's Highway that winds past smaller towns and viewpoints along the way. Aqaba's own Red Sea waterfront, popular for diving and snorkeling, is only minutes from the airport itself.
Driving is on the right throughout Jordan, and the Desert Highway is a well-maintained, mostly straight route connecting Aqaba to Amman and the rest of the country, generally in good condition though prone to long, monotonous stretches that call for regular breaks and alertness, particularly around trucks moving freight between the port city and the capital. The King's Highway toward Petra is narrower and more winding, passing through smaller communities and requiring a bit more caution and time than the highway alternative. Fuel stations are frequent along the Desert Highway corridor but thin out on some of the smaller connecting roads, so it is sensible to keep the tank topped up before heading deep into the desert toward Wadi Rum or along the quieter King's Highway route to Petra.