Conference reviews ‘deep-rooted’ Jordan-Gulf ties

AMMAN — Member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council consider Jordan as a strategic and geopolitical partner with outstanding human resources and tourist attractions, participants at a conference on Sunday said. 

The conference, titled “Jordan in a Changing Regional Environment Scenarios for the Future Era 2”, running from November 4-6 was organised by Al Quds Centre for Political Studies in cooperation with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

The Kingdom and the Gulf countries share numerous common features and “the relations are at their best based on a win-win principal”, noted Sami Al Nisf, former Kuwaiti minister of information.

Due to its security and stability, Jordan is a leading tourist attraction in the region, Nisf added. 

Regarding Saudi Arabia and Jordan, security issues are of common interest and the pillars of partnerships are based on military cooperation especially since Jordan’s geographical location is seen as a gateway to the region, said Suleiman Al Aqili, a journalist and former chief editor of Al Watan newspaper in Saudi Arabia. 

“Both countries tend to one another and are at the forefront to defend Arab security,” said Aqili. 

In the face of low oil prices and falling GDP levels, Saudi Arabia is looking to diversify its resources with different plans, in which Jordan is a part of,  citing the recently launched the NEOM Project.

Spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman within the 2030 Saudi vision, a 26,000-square-kilometre project is to be implemented on the shores of the Red Sea, the Saudi project NEOM will also extend over Jordanian and Egyptian lands at a cost of $500 billion.

“The area is a special economic and vital zone that goes beyond the levels of international cities,” Aqili said. 

The journalist commended the expertise of the Jordanian labour force, which he hailed as “the capital of Jordan in Saudi Arabia”.

“Jordanian workforce in Saudi Arabia is indeed known to be qualified and most Saudis are impressed with their performance. The workforce is unique; engineers, teachers, doctors, and the restructuring of the economy is not going to influence them due to their quality,” he explained. 

Moreover, Senator Rajai Saleh Muasher, noted that ties between the Kingdom and the Gulf countries “are built on well-known facts, and no matter how strong they are, they still encounter challenges”.

Despite differences, dialogue plays a prominent role in addressing disputes, he added.