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AMMAN — The number of tourists who visited the Kingdom since the beginning of 2019 has reached 4,962,144, marking an increase of 8.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2018.

Tourism revenues also saw a notable increase of 9.9 per cent to reach $5.4 billion, equivalent to JD3.8 billion, according to data from the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Friday.

According to the CBJ data, the Kingdom’s revenues from tourism income also increased during November 2019 to reach $462.9 million, equivalent to JD328.2 million, marking an increase of 15.8 per cent compared with the same month of 2018. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s “National Water Carrier” project has won the “Best Strategic Project 2019” award after competing with over 100 global projects at the Infrastructure Leadership Forum held recently in Malaga, Spain, Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud said on Saturday.

The event, held in cooperation with the European Bank for Construction and Development and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, witnessed the participation of more than 400 CEOs of international companies, according to a Water Ministry statement. 

The forum brought together leaders of infrastructure in the southern and eastern Mediterranean regions, the statement said.

The minister noted that all procedures and terms of reference for the Aqaba-Amman desalination and water transport project (the national carrier project) have been completed.

He added that studies will be finished before the end of 2019 to proceed with the bidding process and that the actual implementation of the project will begin during the first quarter of 2021. 

He said that the project is “garnering increasing global attention”, especially since Jordan is experiencing a rising demand for water and has “no alternatives” for providing safe and sustainable water resources besides desalinating the Red Sea’s water and transporting it to various governorates. 

The minister announced the project at the London Conference in February 2019, saying that it is to be implemented in partnership with the private sector based on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) system.

He added that the project will be conducted through building a national carrier system with a capacity of 130 million m3 in the first phase, which is expandable to reach 250 million m3. 

For his part, Project Director Issa Warr said that global recognition has prompted many international companies to show interest in the project during the forum.

Warr added that the project competed with more than 100 others presented during the conference in 10 important sectors, indicating that this achievement is a “strong boost” for project.

Participants highlighted that the purpose of this project is to provide safe and reliable fresh water supplies to Amman and other governorates along the route of the carrier line.

The project will include pipelines, reinforced pumping stations and tanks, the statement added.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation on Thursday honoured distinguished entrepreneurs supported by its IRADA programme, which aims to develop small- and medium-sized enterprises.

During the awards ceremony, held at Al Hussein Youth City, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wissam Rabadi said that the IRADA programme provides advisory support to community projects “to spread a culture of entrepreneurship”.

“The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation has every confidence that small- and medium-sized enterprises have a positive impact on socio-economic development, greater productivity and job creation in all Jordanian municipalities,” Rabadi said.

Jordan has made a “quantum leap” in facilitating businesses as it moved 29 ranks in the Doing Business Index from 104th to 75th place — an indicator of the “success of the reform process in upholding entrepreneurship”, he said.  

The coordinator general of IRADA, Sami Olaimi, said the event seeks to promote an investment culture and stimulate innovation by shedding light on Jordanian success stories.

“For the third consecutive year, IRADA is celebrating the success of entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves through their efforts and access to IRADA’s consulting and substantive services,” Olaimi said during the ceremony.

The objective of the event is to honour entrepreneurs with distinguished projects on the governorate level, Olaimi said.

The entrepreneurs were evaluated by a committee according to specific criteria and standards, the official said.

The IRADA programme was launched by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in 2002 as one of the key elements of strengthening economic and social productivity, which comes under the Royal vision to address economic and development challenges, Olaimi noted.

The programme offers its mentoring and training services free of charge for all citizens and entities through its 28 field-based centres located throughout the 12 governorates, Olaimi said.

Since the launch of IRADA, more than 11,000 awareness-raising lectures and training sessions have been carried out, reaching 120,000 individuals. Additionally, 24,000 economic studies have been run, which helped in establishing 15,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises, providing employment to 39,000 people, Olaimi said.

During the ceremony, a short film depicting success stories was screened in addition to the honouring of the programme’s cadres.

Dina, an entrepreneur from Madaba who developed her project at Mount Nebo with the assistance of IRADA, said that the programme provided her with technical support.

“Now I receive customers, mainly foreigners, as Mount Nebo is a tourist attraction, and I am very thankful for IRADA,” Dina told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the event. 

AMMAN — Bilal Hafnawi on Thursday took the oath of office before Prime Minister Omar Razzaz as commissioner for the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Minister Muthanna Gharaibeh attended the ceremony, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

AMMAN — Deputising for Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri on Thursday attended the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the Um Jmal area. Masri, during the ceremony, lauded Um Jmal Municipality’s efforts in holding the tree-lighting ceremony for the first time.

The tree-lighting ceremony, which was accompanied by Christmas carols, also featured remarks from Father Nabil Haddad, who highlighted the shared commandments between Islam and Christianity on peace and love.

AMMAN — The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) on Thursday organised a meeting to discuss the management and organisation of animals working in the ancient city of Petra, according to a PDTRA statement.

During the meeting, the authority announced its intention to launch the first coalition for protecting work animals in Petra, to be funded by the authority in cooperation with a number of organisations on both the national and international levels.

Talks also covered the current situation of working animals, welfare and health aspects, challenges and potential solutions to ensure an animal-friendly archaeological park.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Ambassador to Madrid Areej Hawamdeh presented her credentials to French President Emmanuel Macron as an accredited non-resident ambassador to Andorra, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Hawamdeh is the Kingdom’s first ambassador to Andorra, which is located between Spain and France. 

AMMAN — Tourism revenues increased by 9.9 per cent at the end of November 2019, reaching $5.4 billion (approximately JD3.8 billion), according to preliminary data released by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) on Thursday.

The CBJ said in a statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the increase was mainly driven by an 8.3-per cent rise in the total number of tourists to the Kingdom, which totalled 4.9 million, compared with the same period last year.

The CBJ figures showed that the tourism sector during November 2019 generated $462.9 million (some JD328.2 million), marking an increase of 15.8 per cent in comparison with the same period in 2018.

AMMAN — Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ met with President of the World Bank Group David Malpass on Thursday and discussed the Kingdom’s economy. “During my meeting today with Jordanian Minister of Finance Mohamad Al-Ississ, I expressed my desire for the Jordanian economy to do very well.

It is encouraging to hear that debt and energy sector reforms are top priorities, and I look forward to progress on structural reforms,” Malpass tweeted.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday met with Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), over the latest developments surrounding the Palestinian cause and ways to approach the repercussions of unilateral Israeli measures that threaten the two-state solution and undermine peace efforts, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

The meeting was held under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to maintain coordination and consultation between the two sides.

In a joint press conference following the meeting, Safadi said that talks covered joint action to confront all unilateral Israeli measures that aim to alter the facts on the ground, stressing that Israeli plans to annex Jordan Valley and the area north of the Dead Sea, would destroy the two-state solution and the peace process.

Safadi highlighted the shared position and vision of Jordan and Palestine, while reiterating the Kingdom’s support of Palestinians' legitimate rights to freedoms and to an independent state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The two sides agreed to intensify joint action and communication with the international community to expose the dangerous ramifications of unilateral Israeli decisions, he added, reemphasising that achieving comprehensive peace would only be realised through granting the Palestinians their full legitimate rights.

“We are working under His Majesty King Abdullah’s direct directives to employ the Kingdom’s capabilities in supporting our Palestinian brothers to realise their rights and achieve comprehensive peace,” he said.

Erekat, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Kingdom’s leadership and diplomatic efforts, highlighting that the extension of the UNRWA mandate for three years — with 170 countries voting in favour of the decision and two against, including the USA and Israel — shows the success of joint Jordanian-Palestinian efforts.

He also highlighted the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship and its role in protecting Jerusalem and its holy sites, warning against the repercussions of unprecedented Israeli violations, including genocide, home demolitions, arbitrary arrests and settlement expansions.

The two sides also highlighted the unprecedented Jordanian-Palestinian coordination over shared interests and challenges, stressing the need to maintain consultation in this arena.