Day: August 5, 2022

The hot air mass affecting the Kingdom is set to abate on Saturday, as temperatures drop slightly, and the weather turns to be relatively hot in the hilltops and plains, and sweltering in the remaining areas, Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

The JMD said the Kingdom’s southern and eastern regions may weakly see rain showers in the evening hours for a short period, which could often be accompanied by thunder.

In its report, the JMD warned of exposure to direct sunlight during afternoon, especially in the Badia, Jordan Valley and Aqaba regions.

The JMD also warned against possible low horizontal visibility due to dust in the Badia regions, and risk of slippery roads in areas forecast to see downpour, the JMD cautioned.

On Sunday, effect of the heat wave recedes as a slight drop in mercury is expected to become around its seasonal average.

Temperatures in the capital Amman will hit 36 degrees Celsius, dipping into 22C at night, meanwhile the port city of Aqaba will see a scorching 41C, sliding to 29C during night hours

Source: Jordan News Agency

The “Oak Chains” housing project, built in Amman’s Dabouq district, has received the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification, approved by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), aimed to award resource-efficient building construction.

The project has successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50%, using environmental design procedures and raising efficiency of its lighting, air conditioning and water systems.

In a statement on Saturday, Manager of Alsaraya Housing Projects and Investment, Jamal Badran, said the project, which is developed by his company, is the first Jordanian housing community to receive the EDGE accreditation, in support of the developer’s vision towards building environmentally friendly and pioneering homes at the region’s level.

The project, which consists of eight homes, is the first residential community to obtain a global certificate in green construction in the Kingdom, he noted.

This accreditation is a step within the company’s comprehensive strategy to provide “distinguished” residential units, aimed to improve their owners’ life quality and save energy and water consumption, he pointed out.

On their vision, Badran noted this style will be carried out in future environmentally friendly buildings that serve and enhance sustainability of natural resources.

The project has saved energy and water consumption by 51% and 43%, respectively.

Source: Jordan News Agency

In cooperation with Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA), a four-day strategic planning workshop for Jordan’s General Trade Union for Workers in Electricity (GTUWE) was concluded in the port city of Aqaba, aimed to develop the syndicate’s strategic plan for the coming five years.

In a press statement on Saturday, GTUWE president, Fakhri Ajarma, said development of the union’s strategic plan aims to enhance its work, improve its role, and achieve its goals, in a way that serves the electricity sector workers and improves their conditions.

The workshop, he noted, focused on multiple axes, mainly wage hikes legislation amendment and strengthened interaction of GTUWE workers’ representatives with the sector operators’ leaders.

Success of this future plan depends on concerted efforts and cooperation of GTUWE’s members to achieve its objectives, he pointed out.

Commending DTDA’s support and its continuous efforts to help GTUWE’s activities and programs, he lauded the long-standing joint relations and partnership with the Danish agency, which played an “important” role in success of the union’s work.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The value of exports of the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) reached JD506 million during the first seven months of 2022, compared with JD392 in the same period of 2021, ACC figures showed on Saturday.

The value of certificates of origin issued by the ACC in the first seven months of 2022 to export goods stood at 18, 931, compared with 20, 312 in the same period of 2021, the ACC data revealed.

The ACC noted that a total of 4,645 certificates were issued for shipments to Saudi Arabia, followed by the UAE (2,479), Iraq (778), Egypt (518) and India with 99 certificates.

The majority of exports during the January-July period went to Iraq, which accounted for JD121 million, followed Egypt with JD73mln, Saudi Arabia with JD57mln, the UAE with JD45mln, and India with JD27mln.

With regard to re-exports of foreign products, the chamber said they amounted to about JD215 million, while industrial, agricultural and Arab products’ exports reached JD140mln, JD87mln and JD42mln, respectively.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Hayat Educational Fund (HEF), a Jordanian nonprofit association, launched a scholarship package for outstanding underprivileged university students on Thursday, during a ceremony held, in cooperation with Kuwaiti International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) office in Jordan.

Speaking at the ceremony to announce the initiative, the HEF’s representative, Ibrahim Bayoudh, lauded the IICO’s role and its continuous support in several fields and highlighted the importance of strengthening joint partnerships with global and local organizations to support students.

This effort would have a significant impact in achieving the HEF’s mission to support the right to education for academically high achieving, poor students, he pointed out.

IICO Director in Jordan, Mustafa Awwad, said the organization’s mission aims to serve human community and will continue to provide all means of cooperation and partnership to support the scientifically and culturally “distinguished” talents at the pan-Arab level.

Until end of June 2022, Hayat Educational Fund provided more than $6, 400, 000 in grants to university students, offered 20, 446 training hours in several fields, and 41,300 community service hours.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) exports maintained an upswing, surging 57 percent during the past seven months of the year, compared to the same period of last year, according to the latest figures.

Exports spiked to JD4.159 billion during the past seven months of the year, compared to JD2.656 billion in the same period of 2021, the statistics, which were obtained by Petra, showed.

The bulk of industries recorded an increase in exports, except medical industries and supplies, which dropped 9 percent to reach JD300 million, compared to JD330 million during the same period of last year, according to the figures.

The data showed that ACI exports have continued a remarkable upward trend, achieving unprecedented rates since the beginning of the year, the chamber said.

They showed the Jordanian industry’s ability to bypass hurdles and compete in export markets, given their quality, which requires providing more capabilities for manufacturers to increase production and expand job-generating businesses.

Jordanian industries can access more than 142 markets around the world through the export of 1,400 various commodities.

The national industry, which recruits over a quarter of a million Jordanians, has a pivotal contribution to the Kingdom’s trade balance as it accounts for 93 percent of the country’s total exports at an annual value of up to 5 billion dinars and a sector investment volume of 15 billion dinars, the ACI said.

India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq accounted for more than half of ACI exports during the past seven months of the year, at a value of 2.199 billion dinars, the chamber said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The death toll from Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip climbed to 12 on Saturday as attacks continued for the second day in a row, according to an updated figure by the Ministry of Health in the blockaded coastal territory.

A five-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman were among the dead, it said, adding that 84 people were injured in the ongoing onslaught.

Source: Jordan News Agency