Egyptian real estate company Amer Group said on Thursday it had begun the construction of a JD150 million ($211 million) resort on Jordan's Dead Sea coast, due to be completed within six months.

The 440-room resort is part of the first phase of the $1-billion Porto Dead Sea project, including four five-star hotels, three malls and a health and spa centre to be constructed over seven years.

The project, which won approval last December from Jordanian authorities, is the biggest tourism initiative so far on the Dead Sea, one of the most popular tourist sites in Jordan.-Reuters