Category: General

The volume of registered investments in free and development zones across the Kingdom in 2021 reached about JD2.485 billion, an increase by 0.4 percent, according to Chairman of the Jordan Free and Development Zones Group (JFDZG) Khalaf Hmeisat.

Speaking to Petra on Sunday, Hmeisat said that the growth of investment volume is not financially represented, but rather through its economic importance as free and development zones attract investments categorized into economic, commercial, industrial, tourism and service areas.

“This has contributed to providing about 27 thousand direct and indirect job opportunities for local communities hosting the Kingdom’s free and development zones,” he added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A slight rise in temperatures to 4 degrees above annual average is expected on Sunday, bringing sunny but cold weather conditions in most parts of the country, with southeasterly moderate to brisk winds, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

On Monday, colder weather will prevail countrywide with clouds at low altitudes, mainly in the northern and central regions, with a chance for scattered showers and northwesterly moderate to brisk winds.

Similar cold weather will persist on Tuesday despite a slight rise in mercury levels, with low-altitude clouds and northwesterly moderate winds.

The maximum and minimum temperatures in Amman today will range between 17 degrees Celsius, dipping into 3C at night, while the Gulf of Aqaba will see a fair 25C, dropping to 10C during night hours.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan participated in the meetings of the 4th Arab Sustainable Development Week, which kicked off Sunday at the Arab League in Cairo.

Jordan’s ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative to the Arab League, Amjad Adaileh, chaired the Jordanian delegation participating in the gathering, as well as ministerial delegations from Arab countries and regional and international organizations, most notably the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union.

The three-day Arab event, held under the theme “Together for Sustainable Recovery” and under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, will discuss ways to mitigate the negative impacts and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on achieving sustainable development goals in Arab countries.

Lamia Zu’bi, Director of Development Plans and Programs at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, said that the Jordanian participation in this Arab event is part of Jordan’s keenness to work towards strengthening joint Arab cooperation in light of rapid economic and social conditions and changes that impose more challenges and burdens and negatively affect governments’ efforts toward achieving sustainable development.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A high-ranking US economic and trade delegation from Nebraska will begin a working visit to Jordan next Tuesday, to review the commercial and investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Chairman, Nael Kabariti, announced.

The visit of the delegation, which is headed by Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evenn, comes under the theme:” “Innovation, Sustainability and Food Security,” and is organized by Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC), in cooperation with the National U.S.–Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC).

Nebraska, located in the Midwest region of the United States, is a large producer of food and agricultural products, and is known for its manufacturing and information and telecom technology fields.

The delegation includes business owners representing the sectors of pharmaceuticals, medical laboratories, home health care, water management and sustainability, and agricultural products.

In addition, the delegation represents the sectors of food and catering companies providers and distributors, agricultural engineering and tools, irrigation and environmentally friendly technologies, consultancy in higher education and university enrollment services, and legal advice specialized in immigration affairs, information technology and cybersecurity.

On the sidelines of the two-day visit, a workshop will be held next Wednesday morning to discuss Jordan’s investment opportunities, priviliges and areas of joint economic cooperation with Nebraska.

Kabariti pointed to the importance of the visit to discuss possible ways to enhance economic and trade relations, identify investment opportunities available in the Kingdom and the state of Nebraska, and promote contact among business owners.

In a press statement on Saturday, Kabariti lauded the level of Jordan-U.S. “historic and political friendship”, stressing the Kingdom’s keenness to enhance its trade with the United States and raise the level of joint economic cooperation.

Kabariti said JCC is organizing the delegation’s visit based on its continuous role in promoting Jordan’s economic opportunities, business environment and investment and creating new opportunities for trade with various countries, in a way that enables the country to overcome Covid-19 pandemic-induced consequences.

He also referred to the JCC’s “active” role through the Washington DC-headquartered DCNUSACC membership, which was established more than half a century ago, and is the oldest American service organization dedicated to Arab-American business, and has relations with more than 25,000 companies interested in trade between the world Arab and the United States.

Kabariti said Jordan is working to cooperate and coordinate to organize many economic activities and attract trade missions , which would contribute “significantly” to promoting Jordan at the economic and investment levels.

Jordan’s exports to the United States increased during 11 months 2021, by 34.6%, to reach JD1,460 billion, compared to JD1,085 billion during the same period in 2020.

Source: Jordan News Agency

In implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah II’s directives, Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Khasawneh, in presence of Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and a number of ministers, on Saturday checked on the progress of work in the second and third phases of Irbid Ring Road project.

Briefing PM Khasawneh, Minister of Public Works and Housing, Yahya Kasabi, highlighted the importance of the highway project in mitigating the traffic congestion facing the densely populated city of Irbid.

The PM instructed the concerned authorities to provide the necessary funding to begin implementation of Irbid Ring Road’s second phase, with a 12 km length, slated to kick off before 2022 summer and carry out the highway’s third phase according to a scheduled timeframe.

In addition, Khasawneh said the government is working, in implementation of Royal directives, to expedite the completion of projects that reflect on and facilitate the citizens’ lives.

With a total 53 km length, Irbid Ring Road’s first phase is 18 km long, while studies and engineering designs are ready to start implementing the second phase with a 12 km length that serves west Irbid’s villages. The third is 23 km long, serving areas east of Irbid.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Khasawneh, in presence of Royal Hashemite Court Chief Youssef Issawi, checked on services provided by Special Needs Care Center run by Sahel Houran Development Association in the northern Ramtha district.

Khasawneh was briefed from Minister of Social Development Ayman Mufleh and the center’s directors on the care facility’s services provided to people with different disabilities, stressing the government’s interest in supporting Jordan’s disabled group and the associations and centers that take care of their affairs countrywide.

Meanwhile, Issawi announced a Royal donation to rehabilitate the care center and provide it with the necessary equipment to rehabilitate people with disabilities.

The PM toured the center’s facilities, which provides services to 34 people with special needs within the age group between 6 to 18 years.

The center’s directors stressed the necessity of expanding and rehabilitating the disability care facility, and providing it with the necessary equipment, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, to make the classes inclusive of people with disabilities.

In addition, they added that the center needs workers and specialists in the field of speech difficulties to achieve its goals.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Saturday’s mercury will rise slightly to approximately reach its seasonal average and the weather will be cold almost countrywide and fair in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

In its report, the JMD warns of the possibility of frost formation in late night hours over the highlands and the Badia regions.

According to the JMD, Sunday will be see another slight rise in temperatures to exceed their seasonal average, and the weather will be sunny and relatively cold almost countrywide and warm in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba.

However on Monday, temperatures are forecast to drop slightly and the weather will be cold almost countrywide and pleasant in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, with with a weak chance in the morning hours of light rain showers in the Kingdom’s northern areas.

Also on Saturday, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Amman will range between 14 degrees Celsius, dipping into 3C at night, while the Gulf of Aqaba will see a fair 23C, dropping to 11C during night hours.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Iraq on Saturday urged its nationals not to travel to Ukraine and advised those in the country to leave amid rising tensions in the region.

The Iraqi foreign ministry said it was following suit with other world nations which issued travel warnings to their citizens due to fears over a potential war as tensions rose amid the Russian-Uktainean crisis.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates embassy in Kiev warned its citizens not to travel to Ukraine at the present time, and designated a hotline for UAE nationals in the country.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh Saturday met with local officials and representatives of grassroots organisations in the Irbid Governorate, in the presence of Royal Court Chief Youssef Issawi, and announced that a package of development projects under royal initiatives will be launched in the northern region.

During the meeting, which was attended by ministers and MPs, the Prime Minister said that the initiatives ordered by His Majesty King Abdullah include building 100 homes for underprivileged families and five schools as well as public parks and a health centre in Al-Masara in Ramtha district.

They also include setting up a facility for packaging agricultural products, addressing the problem of a Jordan Valley tomato paste plant, providing the Moaz bin Jabal Hospital in the Northern Jordan Valley with an MRI device and rehabilitating the Himma tourist area and a care centre for persons with disability in Houran Plain in Ramtha.

In Ajloun Governorate, the prime minister told local officials and dignitaries that 100 homes for impoverished families will be constructed as well as three clinics in Urjan, Sanar and Shafa, a factory under the productive branches initiative and job-generating projects for young women and men within the Ajloun Business Incubator, which was launched as part of royal initiatives.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Saturday urged Jordanian citizens not to travel to Ukraine “during this period, in view of the current developments in the region.”

In a press release, it also called on Jordanians in Ukraine to leave the country.

The ministry renewed its call on Jordanians in Ukraine to register their data to communicate with them on this link: https://mfa.gov.jo/ar/embassy/Ankara/form.

Source: Jordan News Agency