Day: June 8, 2022

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yousef Shamali on Wednesday met Czech Minister of Industry and trade Jozef Sikela who is currently visiting the Kingdom to discuss cooperation in several fields.

Shamali stressed Jordan’s commitment to bolstering bilateral cooperation in many fields, mainly economic ones, and increasing two-way trade in partnership with the European Union (EU).

He highlighted that there is significant potential for mutually beneficial economic and investment collaboration.

The Czech Republic’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July next year may enhance Jordanian-European relations, he noted.

The Czech minister, for his part, stated that his country is interested in expanding economic relations with Jordan because of its investment potential, strategic commercial location, and positive business reforms.

He stated that under the Czech presidency of the EU Council, one of the republic’s priorities will be to strengthen collaboration with Jordan in numerous domains.

The two ministers also discussed the agenda for the joint committee meetings.

Source: Jordan News Agency

On World Environment Day, the Ayla Oasis Development Company and the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla carried out two joint campaigns on the Ayla beaches to raise awareness on keeping the marine environment clean.

According to a statement on Wednesday, the company said the campaigns, which are part of “Ayla’s social responsibility plans,” are aimed at shedding light on the importance of sustainability and protection of the marine environment through protecting coral reefs and fisheries and encouraging employees to participate in the campaign while fostering a culture of volunteer work.

Ayla’s Managing Director Sahl Dudin stressed the importance of these campaigns in maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of Ayla beaches in a way that reflects the vivid image of Ayla and the Aqaba region.

Dudin said that Ayla has supported many initiatives, either individually or through partnerships with local and international institutions and organizations that assist national efforts to protect nature and the environment.

Ayla has adopted many programs and established environmental and natural paths, which made Ayla Oasis an environmentally sustainable destination. This had a clear positive impact on the local community and everyday life in the governorate, the statement added.

For his part, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Jean-Francois Durand pointed to the importance of this initiative in raising awareness and maintaining a clean and safe environment that attracts local, regional, and foreign tourism. Hyatt Regency Aqaba, he noted, implements many initiatives and campaigns that highlight the importance of environmental and marine sustainability as well as the significance of preserving marine life in the Aqaba region.

It is worthy to note that in 2018, Ayla Oasis Development Company signed an agreement with the Royal Marine Conservation Society for the Protection of Marine Environment, through which Ayla joined the Blue Flag program, which grants an international environment certificate for B12 Beach Club and La Plage Beach Club and Ayla Marina, while enforcing sustainable boating tourism with operators that are in line with European seawater quality standards.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A Jordanian woman from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Jordan, along with 14 promising young women scientists, was selected to be a part of the 2022 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Program’s International Rising Talents.

In a statement on Wednesday, the university said that Lina Dahabiyeh had received several fellowships and scholarships from reputable international bodies, including the Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship offered by the Academy of Medical Sciences, the European Union’s Erasmus+ scholarship, and the US Fullbright scholarship.

Dahabiyeh’s research in basic medicine is considered greatly beneficial, aiming at using new analytic curricula such as integrative omics, a field of study in biological sciences that focuses on genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, or metabolomics, which helps better understand and diagnose diseases like preeclampsia and Parkinson’s disease and develop highly efficient medication.

The researcher has also previously received funding from national organizations, participated in many local and global conferences, cooperated with researchers from international institutions, and published scientific articles in some of the best global journals.

A decades-long partnership between the French cosmetics company L’Oréal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has resulted in the International Awards, International Rising Talents, National and Regional, and the For Girls In Science programs. The International Rising Talents program particularly highlights the achievements of 15 younger women who are in the early stages of their scientific careers at the doctoral or post-doctoral level.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Senate’s Agriculture and Water Committee on Wednesday discussed with Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) CEO Kholoud Saqqaf and Chairman of Daman Company for Investment and Agricultural Industries, Shadi Majali, the fund’s agricultural investment in the southern Mudawara region.

Speaking at the meeting, the committee’s head, Akef Zoubi, said conditions for the project’s success should be met to face high risks of agricultural investment, especially in relation to feasibility study, crops production, availability of the necessary administrative and technical expertise, and focus on export crops and grain and fodder cultivation.

Saqqaf, for her part, said the project’s management is run by Daman Company for Investment and Agricultural Industries, wholly owned by the Social Security Corporation (SSC), which was established by the SSIF at the end of 2020, adding agricultural project in Mudawara area will contribute to meeting part of the local consumption need of strategic agricultural crops.

The project’s management and implementation depends on Jordanian expertise and competencies available of SSIF’s Daman Company, in addition to partnership with local investors in the agricultural sector, without competition for small farmers, she noted.

The project, she said, was based on the results of economic feasibility studies to ensure a feasible return within acceptable risk levels and in accordance with the SSIF’s investment policy.

The project’s first phase included infrastructure and construction development works and the cultivation of about 6,000 dunums, mostly wheat, barley and animal fodder, she pointed out.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordanian government inked a loan agreement with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) on Wednesday to finance a public education infrastructure project in the Kingdom for 11.6 million Kuwaiti dinars, or roughly $38.3 million.

The loan will finance the construction of 12 schools in Amman, Madaba, Irbid, Jerash, Zarqa, Ajloun, Balqa, and Karak. The number of classes at these schools, which will serve students from kindergarten to secondary school, ranges from 12 to 36 per school.

The project’s overarching purpose is to solve student overcrowding in schools as a result of population increase and rising demand for public education, as well as to reduce reliance on rented school facilities.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh and KFAED Director-General Marwan Al-Ghanim.

The agreement, according to the Minister of Planning, is part of the State of Kuwait’s contribution to pledges made at a 2018 Jordanian-GCC summit held in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of assisting Jordan’s economic and social development.

Shraideh commended Kuwait for its ongoing assistance to Jordan and stated that the Jordanian government looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the Fund, which is one of the Kingdom’s most important development partners.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Increasing fuel prices is a “difficult and inevitable” option, in light of their global rises to record levels, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Kharabsheh, said on Wednesday.

The minister added that all countries worldwide have started dealing with high oil prices and their reflection on local market.

The government, he noted, bore the global price difference for diesel for a 6-month period and for 4 months for gasoline, with more than JD450 million.

Accordingly, he announced the gov’t decided to gradually reflect international oil prices on local market to help citizens to avoid paying cost difference in a one-off manner.

On the sidelines of the energy conference held in the Dead Sea, the minister said the current fuel price does not reflect global rises.

The Kingdom’s current fuel prices are as if a barrel is sold globally at $85, while the price per barrel globally reaches $112, he pointed out.

The cost of diesel per liter is 81.5 piasters, while it is sold in the local market for 68.5 piasters, which means that the government loses 13 piasters per liter, he noted.

Source: Jordan News Agency