Day: October 23, 2022

Categories
General

34 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Aqaba during 2022 winter season-ASEZA

Aqaba, The city of Aqaba is witnessing an “active” visitor movement from different countries, which is expected to increase in momentum, especially with the expected arrival of 34 cruise ships during the current winter season, carrying more than 45,000 tourists, most from European nations.

In a press statement on Sunday, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Commissioner for Environment and Tourism Nidal Majali said Jordan’s Golden Triangle of Aqaba, Petra, and Wadi Rum, which is home to the country’s famous archaeological and natural wonders, enhances the Kingdom’s tourism income by 14%.

Majali noted the number of visitors is “constantly increasing,” as about 1.3 million tourists entered Aqaba during the current tourist season from various border crossings, adding that about 700,000 hotel checkins were recorded with an average stay of 2.2 days.

Majali added that these numbers are rising “continuously,” after the increase in the number of tourist ship trips and low-cost flights to Aqaba.

The number of visitors arriving to Aqaba in 2022 and the coming years will exceed the figures recorded in 2019, as Aqaba hotels saw a “high” rate of reservations, at nearly 90%, he pointed out.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
General

34 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Aqaba during 2022 winter season…1st, final add

Majali noted Aqaba was not “completely” affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as tourism did not stop during the crisis period, adding that Aqaba is a green city that successfully controlled the disease by applying the “highest” standards of public safety.

Building the tourism future in Aqaba is achieved within a “participatory” action with all concerned parties to market the tourist product in all its aspects, he noted.

ASEZA is working to create a “distinguished” infrastructure to receive tourists and enhance this policy by participating in international travel and diving exhibitions, since diving is an attractive and tourism-producing sport, he pointed out.

Aqaba, he said, contains a diversity of marine life, and houses the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere, which is a attraction for tourists from across the world.

Regarding services, privileges and facilitations offered to the Jordanian tourist, Majali said supply and demand equation sets the competition prices for hotel rooms and apartments in Aqaba, pointing to the need to establish new hotel rooms in Aqaba to launch exhibition and tourism programs.

As for foreign tourists’ needs and expectations, he said world tourism and travel agents need to have a large number of rooms suitable for visitors, as well as diversity of price opportunities to accommodate the huge demand in this regard.

In addition, he referred to the diversity in providing hotel services in Aqaba, adding that all options are available for local tourists at affordable prices.

Arab tourism to Aqaba has increased at “high” rates, as about 240, 000 Arab visitors entered the port city, which means it is witnessing a “large” turnout of tourists, whether Jordanians or foreigners seeking accommodation with high-level hospitality services, he said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
General

Greater Jerash Municipality selected among 10 municipalities to be supported by USAID

Jerash, Chief of Party for USAID Municipal Support Program, Linda Tubaishat, said the Greater Jerash Municipality has been selected to be among the 10 municipalities targeted by the Municipal Support Project in Jordan.

In a meeting with Jerash Mayor Ahmad Hashem Atoum, Tubaishat said that the selection was the result of a clear vision presented by the mayor and a real insistence on the directions of the municipality in line with the objectives of the five-year program, which aims at improving the level of services and supporting its economic development in a way that clearly reflects on citizen, and creates an appropriate investment environment.

Tubaishat added that the project relies mainly on the partnership with the private sector and the partnership between the targeted municipalities, in a way that more than one municipality in the governorate can be involved in participatory projects, whether in investment or service fields.

She noted that the program allows the municipality to transfer knowledge and train cadres of neighboring municipalities.

She pointed out that the first meeting will be held to announce the launch of the project in the next few days.

Atoum said that the objectives of the program are aligned with the directions of the municipality, which has prioritized upgrading and improving the level of services.

Atoum highlighted key projects that the municipality seeks to conclude with the private sector, at a cost of JD15 million, which contribute to the employment of a large number of members of the local community and provide jobs for various segments.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
General

JPRC receives 3 offers to implement 4th expansion project

Amman, The Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) received 3 offers from 3 consortiums consisting of 7 international companies to implement the fourth refinery expansion project.

The JPRC said that, in cooperation with the project management contractor and the financial, technical and legal advisors, and after evaluating the technical and financing aspects, it had initiated discussions with the consortium that had the best offer, which a coalition consisting of Italian, Chinese and Japanese companies, for in order to agree on the contractual terms, after extending the validity of the quotations until the end of December 2022.

“In light of the company’s negotiations regarding the fourth expansion project and reaching an agreement to implement the project, that will be disclosed duly without delay”, the JPRC said in a disclosure statement published Sunday on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) website.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Technology

Jordanian universities notch ‘advanced’ positions in QS rankings-AARU

Amman, Arab and Jordanian universities carved “advanced” positions in the QS World University Rankings in its 2023 edition, according to Secretary-General of the Amman-based Association of Arab Universities (AARU), Amro Salameh.

During his participation in QS World Ranking Conference 2023 for the Best Arab Universities held in United Arab Emirates, Salama said 5 new Arab universities entered the QS ranking in its latest version, while others maintained their positions.

Salameh, according to an AARU statement issued on Sunday, said Arab universities have achieved many developments and improvements in recent years, however many still suffer from a lack of human and financial resources, overcrowding and poor quality.

In the statement, he stressed AARU realized the importance of Arab universities’ rankings as a “major” goal in its strategic plan for 2019-2030.

To achieve its future plans, he noted AARU is putting the final touches on the Arab university ranking system, which takes into account international classifications and is scheduled to be announced publicly at the beginning of next year.

This future system, he noted, will activate new standards that measure for the first time extent of Arab universities’ excellence in innovation, creativity and leadership fields in a two- year period.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Technology

Queen Rania Teacher Academy Kicks Off 2022 Forum

Amman, The Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) kicked off its 2022 forum on Sunday, under the theme: “Building Forward Better: Transforming Schools of Today.”

Held virtually over two days, the QRTA Forum offers a platform for educators to explore, learn, and share experiences with a renowned host of international educators and researchers, according to a QRTA statement.

This year, the QRTA forum aims to tackle school transformations at the grassroots level, covering policies, curricula, student and teacher affairs, and classroom structures. Its primary objective is to highlight the challenges facing today’s school systems, and come up with plans to improve them.

The series of panel discussions, led by 42 speakers from reputable global educational institutions across 18 countries, also aims to equip participating teachers with the necessary tools to improve current school systems, the statement noted.

Each panel discussion will showcase field expert studies, success stories, and recommendations to help set new, attainable goals for education, as well as identify new roles for those leading this transformation.

This year, more than 27,000 participants from 85 countries registered for the event and for the pre forum workshops, including 9,000 Jordanians whom registered for day one and day two of the forum.

The two-day forum comprises several sessions that cover an array of topics, such as the impact of climate change on education, fostering psychosocial wellbeing through literacy, and the role of innovative school leadership.

A group of facilitators have also organized pre-forum workshops that will delve into technology, design thinking, psychosocial wellbeing, transformational leadership, and the importance of professional learning communities.

In his opening remarks, QRTA CEO Osama Obeidat stated, In his opening speech for this year’s QRTA Forum, Dr. Osama, QRTA’s CEO, stated that “the continuous changes noticed nowadays, especially during and after the COVID pandemic, resulted in having a prospective vision to the educational systems needed for the future, and how to speed up the transformation in the various elements of the educational system especially teachers and what has to do with helping them gain new skills and competencies to provide appropriate response towards the demands and tasks they have to perform.

He emphasized that the forum this year is entitled “Building Forward Better: Transforming Schools of Today” as the need these days is related to building for the future and not focusing our energy in going back to how things were before the pandemic.”

For his part, Nuno Crato, Portugal’s former Minister of Education and Science and keynote speaker at this year’s QRTA Forum, during a session entitled “Schools to Build the Future,” stated, that “in order to reverse the damage the pandemic has done to education, we must pay attention to the fundamentals, build coherent and ambitious curricula, look for clear learning goals, provide teachers with a clear structure, structure teaching and improve quality by supporting all students.”

Established in 2009, and in line with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah’s vision, QRTA is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and empowering educators with the skills needed to nurture and lead future generations.

QRTA offers innovative and evidence-based professional development programs informed by international best practices and the latest research in the field. Since its inception, QRTA has provided professional learning opportunities for teachers and school leaders, with an outreach of over 100,000 professional development opportunities across its various programs.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Government Policy

FM stresses importance of enhancing cooperation with OSCE

Dead Sea, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and dialogue between the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Mediterranean partners in various basic issues of concern to the region, in order to reach tangible results in terms of enhancing the overall security.

In a meeting with OSCE Secretary-General Helga Schmid at the Dead Sea on Sunday, Safadi stressed the Kingdom’s keenness to cooperate with the organization, which is the largest regional security organization in the world that works to achieve security and stability and deepen dialogue between various countries and civilizations.

The meeting was held on the eve of the OSCE Mediterranean Conference, to be held in the Dead Sea area on Monday.

Schmid expressed the OSCE’s appreciation for hosting the conference by the Kingdom, lauding the effective Jordanian role in the Mediterranean Partnership for Cooperation, and its role in supporting efforts to achieve security and peace and to promote dialogue among civilizations.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Affairs

Japan provides financial grant to increase JHCO’s warehouse capacity

Amman, The Japanese government has offered a grant to Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) to provide equipment for handling and storing goods in the organization’s warehouses, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP).

According to the JHCO statement on Sunday, its Secretary-General, Hussein Shibli and Chargé d’Affairs at the Japanese Embassy, NETSU Shuntaro, signed the agreement.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Shibli said this is not the first time that JHCO has received support from the Japanese government, adding that today’s grant is an extension of the assistance provided to the organization in 2017 to raise the level of its storage capacities, upgrade equipment quality, and improve its warehouses capabilities to absorb aid items.

“It is a great pride for us that JHCO and the Japanese government are following the same approach, carrying out humanitarian work and delivering various aids, and securing our warehouses with an appropriate environment to preserve and store materials until their distribution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shuntaro said the new equipment will enable JHCO to store a larger amount of aid parcels in warehouses, and improve the operational efficiency of loading and unloading supplies.

The grant aims to raise JHCO’s capacity and facilitate work in the its warehouses in Zarqa governorate and enhance the capacity of aid storage by providing goods handling and storage equipment, the statement noted.

Japan, under the framework of its grants for human security projects at the grass-roots level, has provided more than $10 million for 154 projects for NGOs, schools, hospitals and municipalities in Jordan since 1993.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Affairs

LH committee, Swedish envoy talk strengthening bilateral cooperation

Amman, Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee and Swedish Ambassador to Jordan, Alexandra Rydmark, held talks focusing on the importance of the visit of Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to Jordan next month.

During the meeting, which is held at LH headquarters, on Sunday, the committee head, MP Khaldoun Haina, said the visit reflects the “deep-rooted, historic” Jordanian-Swedish relations, and the importance of strengthening them into serve common interests.

This visit, he said, represents an opportunity to develop bilateral relations at various parliamentary, economic, investment, commercial and tourism levels, adding that Jordan is looking forward to launching stronger cooperation and coordination with Sweden and building new partnerships, which would benefit the two friendly countries.

For her part, Rydmark lauded Jordan-Sweden ties as ” distinguished and historic,” stressing her country’s keenness to strengthen them in various fields.

His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will be accompanied on their visit to Jordan next month by members of the Swedish government and an economic delegation, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation in a number of sectors, the diplomat said.

Meanwhile, the committee’s members welcomed the visit, which reflects the two countries’ “strong” relations and their “historic” friendship ties.

“We view the visit with great interest,” the lawmakers added, looking forward to more cooperation at various levels, especially at the parliamentary, economic, tourism and investment levels.

The MPs also expressed their appreciation for Sweden’s support for Jordan, adding that the Kingdom has historical and archaeological landmarks, which requires joint action to stimulate local tourism.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Categories
Affairs

Germany provides €32 million grants to support education sector in Jordan

Amman, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh, and Deputy Director at the German Development Bank in Jordan, Sawsan Aruri, on Sunday signed two grant agreements provided by the German government through the German Development Bank (KfW) to the Kingdom to support the Jordan education sector.

The first agreement includes a €25 million grant to finance the part time teachers’ salaries in Jordanian public schools as part of a project to support Syrian refugee students’ access to formal education, the ministry said in a statement.

As for the second grant agreement, which amounts to €7 million, it will be directed to finance the consultancy services needed to prepare designs for building schools.

Shraideh expressed the government’s thanks and appreciation to the German government for its continued support to Jordan in various fields, as Germany is one of Jordan’s key partners in the development and reform process, and its assistance contributes to supporting important vital sectors such as education, water and sanitation. In addition to the great role of the German government in supporting Jordan in dealing with the burdens resulting from the Covid-19 and Syrian refugee crises, and its efforts to mobilize the necessary international support to help the Kingdom overcome these circumstances.

The Planning Minister said that the provision and sustainability of foreign aid to Jordan reflects the respect and appreciation by the international community for Jordan and its regional and global role under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, and constitutes a recognition of Jordan’s reform efforts in all fields, in addition to the understanding of international and donors of Jordan’s development needs and the magnitude of the challenges and burdens it faces.

Source: Jordan News Agency