Day: January 14, 2023

Temperatures on Saturday will be around their seasonal average and the weather is cold almost nationwide and pleasant in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Intermittent rain showers are often expected to occur in the Kingdom’s northern and eastern regions and limited central areas, the JMD said.

In its report, the JMD warns of the possibility of low horizontal visibility in the early morning hours due to fog over hilltops and slippery roads in areas that witness downpour.

On Sunday, the weather will be cold and partly cloudy almost nationwide, while nice conditions are forecast in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, and intermittent showers are expected in Kingdom’s northern regions.

As for Monday, rain showers are expected in Jordan’s southern and eastern regions, which could be often heavy accompanied by thunder, especially in the southern regions, the JMD noted.

Also today, temperatures in Amman will hit 12 degrees Celsius, dipping to 2C at night, while the port city of Aqaba will see a fair 20C, sliding to 10C at night.

Source: Jordan News Agency

President and members of the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) discussed with a delegation from the Business Executives for American National Security Group (BENS), the importance of strengthening and developing joint cooperation, referring to the the two countries’ multiple investment opportunities and various fields to enter the their markets.

The JBA’s head, Hamdi Tabba’a, in a statement on Saturday, affirmed the “solid” Jordanian-American relations, which reached “advanced” levels at various levels.

He also noted role of the free trade agreement (FTA) concluded between the two countries in strengthening economic and trade ties and pushing them towards “broader” horizons.

In this regard, he said Jordanian private sector is “always trying to benefit from the agreement’s priviliges, expand base of joint cooperation and enter the US market.

Tabba’a noted Jordan-US trade balance tends in favor of Jordan, which reflects extent of the agreement’s success in achieving common interests, which made the United States the most important partner to Jordan, in terms of export, adding that FTA attracted foreign investments to the Kingdom to benefit from its priviliges.

Tabba’a said Jordanian private sector is looking forward to benefiting more from the agreement in exporting services, especially in the construction, contracting and information technology fields.

In addition, Tabba’a noted Jordan is “distinguished” by a variety of “promising” value-added sectors that offer multiple investment opportunities, most notably is the National Water Carrier Project, pharmaceutical industries and technology Information, food industries, medical care and tourism, and existing projects in industrial estates and free and development zones.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan Exporters Association (JEA), in cooperation with Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), are scheduled to send an economic mission to Georgia during next March, aimed to strengthening economic and trade relations between the two countries.

JEA head, Ahmed Khudari, in a statement on Saturday, said the visit also comes in cooperation with Georgian Embassy in Jordan, aimed to enabling Jordanian companies to learn about Georgia’s ” important” market, open new export markets, and promote investment opportunities and priviliges available in the Kingdom.

During the economic delegation’s visit, he said Jordanian companies are scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Georgian private sector and set requirements for entering Georgia’s “vital and important” market and opportunities available for the Kingdom’s exports.

The visit also includes talks with Georgia’s government institutions to discuss prospects for economic cooperation and opportunities to increase trade and investment exchange between the two countries, he pointed out.

In addition, Khudari stressed the importance of industrial exports in stimulating national economy by increasing production, expanding existing investments, creating more job opportunities, and strengthening the Kingdom’s reserves of foreign currencies.

For his part, the JEA general manager, Halim Abu Rahma, said Georgia’s market is deemed a “promising” export opportunity for Jordanian industrial products, especially plastic industries, foodstuffs, fertilizers, clothing and furniture, in addition to making it a gateway for neighboring markets.

Abu Rahma noted the visit comes within JEA’s plans and programs to build trade relations with various countries and open new markets for national exports.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The government says it will embark on implementing mega ventures and partnership projects with the private sector under the economic modernization executive program at the volume of more than JD10 billion.

The development scheme envisages plans to enhance investment and meet the goals of the 2033 vision of growth and job creation.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh has asked relevant ministries and entities to start implementation to meet the “ambitious” goals within timelines, noting that the executive program involves deadlines and a performance and electronic achievement tracking system.

The program is a national venture with feasible and realistic goals, and is a roadmap for the national economy over the next ten years, says the prime minister.

The total cost of the program is estimated at JD10,470,000, of which JD10 million will be allocated for the management and operation of a multi-purpose port within the New Aqaba Port area at the value of JD10 million, JD50 million for the management and operation of King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, JD290 million for the establishment of a medical university through the Saudi-Jordanian Fund, a green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility worth JD4 billion and a water desalination and conveyance project (the national carrier) at an estimated cost of JD3 billion.

The executive program also incorporates a national railway network, the first phase of which is the Aqaba-Amman railway, at the cost of JD1.9 billion dinars, the Jordan-Iraq electrical interconnection project at JD30 million, the Jordanian-Saudi electrical interconnection project at JD39 million, as well as raising the capacity of the electrical interconnection between Jordan and Egypt to 1,100 megawatt, construction of 15 schools in partnership with the private sector at the value of JD46 million, the Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, at the value of JD140 million, a freight and passenger facility at the new King Hussein Crossing Bridge at the value of JD225 million, the development and rehabilitation of the Aqaba Container Terminal worth JD300 million as well as road charge projects that will cost JD40 million.

Also at the core of the economic modernization scheme are investment priorities and initiatives, foremost of which is improving Jordan’s rank in global reports, starting this year with preparing action plans to improve the Kingdom’s rank in the Global Competitiveness Report, the Regulatory Restrictiveness Index (FDI) that measures statutory restrictions on foreign direct investment, the global sustainable competitiveness index, the women, business and the law index, as well as putting in place legislation on environmental protection and drawing up the national investment strategy.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi, head of the committee to implement His Majesty King Abdullah’s initiatives, Saturday urged closer cooperation to accelerate the phosphate hills rehabilitation project in Ruseifa District in Zarqa Governorate.

The project aims to turn the region into a recreational, developmental and investment attraction with environmentally friendly parks, play spaces and entertainment facilities to serve the local people of the underdeveloped region.

Issawi spoke at a Royal Court meeting with Deputy Premier and Minister and Minister of Local Administration, Tawfiq Krishan, Minister of Public Works and Housing and Minister of Transport, Yousef Abul Samin, Agriculture Minister Khaled Hneifat, Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh and members of the committee to oversee the development scheme.

He said the project will help protect the environment from pollution, develop local communities and provide a suitable and sustainable healthy and recreational environment.

During a recent visit to Ruseifa district, King Abdullah spoke of the difficulties posed to local residents by pollution, and asked authorities to promptly address environmental hazards, especially pollution from the phosphate hills, and improve services and infrastructure in the region.

Issawi told the meeting that the project is a priority for His Majesty, who has a keen interest in protecting the environment, which lies at the heart of royal initiatives and development plans.

Krishan, who also heads the committee that follows up on implementation of the project, reviewed the key achievements, including the environmental park and securing various games, agricultural work as part of a greening plan and building a wall within the designated area.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi said Saturday that an oil pipeline from Iraq’s southern Basra port to the Jordanian port of Aqaba will see the light of day soon, pointing to many areas of cooperation and investment opportunities between the two countries.

Al-Halbousi, who spoke at a joint press conference at Baghdad airport with Lower House Speaker Ahmad Safadi at the end of a Jordanian parliamentary delegation’s trip to Iraq, that the visit is to overcome any hurdles standing in the way of join ventures.

Safadi said the two countries will form joint parliamentary committees to overcome legislative impediments to joint projects, reiterating Jordan’s keenness on the success of of Iraq’s political process and the return of Iraq as a strong and influential player in the region.

The delegation held a series of meetings with Iraqi officials, starting with president Abdul Latif Rashid, former presidents and prime ministers and heads of parliamentary blocs.

Iraqi officials underscored their support of joint projects between Jordan, Iraq and Egypt and commended the Kingdom’s support of their country and His Majesty King Abdullah’s position toward regional issues and his custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Source: Jordan News Agency