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AMMAN — Four cruise ships carrying around 12,000 tourists are scheduled to drop anchor in Aqaba on Thursday, according to Director General of the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management Mansour Gogazeh.

As well as spending time in Aqaba, some 330km south of Amman, the tourists’ itinerary includes destinations such as Petra and Wadi Rum, he added, noting that three of the ships will dock in the old port, while the fourth will anchor in the new southern port.

The number of visitors to Aqaba during this year’s first quarter rose by an estimated 10 per cent, compared with the same period in 2018, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Gulf of Aqaba is warm year round, with an average temperature of 24°C, according to the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan, which indicated that Jordan’s coastline represents the northernmost outcropping of coral reefs in the world.

While in Petra, tourists will explore the ancient city for half a day, before heading to Wadi Rum, where they typically take a two to four hour jeep ride, followed by dinner at a bedouin camp.

AMMAN — Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem recently expressed their condolences and solidarity with those affected by the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, and the French people after a fire engulfed Notre Dame in Paris.

Three churches and four hotels were hit by suicide bombers on Sunday morning, killing 321 people and wounding another 500, according to Reuters, while a fire engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15.

“We the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem strongly condemn the terrorist attacks on three churches — St Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo and Zion Church in Batticaloa — and three hotels in Sri Lanka,” the clergy said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

“We are grievously saddened by the horrific acts of violence brought on innocent people and worshippers at Easter Sunday services. The churches in Jerusalem convey their deepest condolences to the communities, families and friends of those who have lost their lives and have been injured and affected by these evil deeds. We stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as a whole, especially those who are directly affected by these terrorist acts,” the statement added.

“May the risen Lord bring his peace, healing and hope to the people of Sri Lanka and bring an end to violence and bloodshed throughout the world.”

The patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem also released a statement expressing their solidarity with the people of France after Notre Dame caught fire on April 15.

“Our hearts burned as we watched on media screens of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris lit up by fire. This cathedral, which witnessed historic events in the French capital for nearly 850 years, is a holy place, is an art masterpiece and a distinguished symbol of human civilization,” the statement said.

“In these dark times, we affirm our support to the French people and President Emmanuel Macron and declare our full solidarity with them for this tragic loss to humanity,” the clergy said. “As we pray for the French people at these painful moments, we hope and trust the French people’s ability and good relations around the world to rebuild the cathedral, so it would become a symbol of the French people’s ability to turn this catastrophe into a world-renowned achievement.”

AMMAN — Tell Al Hammam, a site northeast of the Dead Sea, can help researchers understand “city states” in the southern Levant, and perhaps why the area around the site was abandoned for 600 years, according to archaeologist Mohammad Najjar.

It is the largest Early Bronze Age site and the third-largest Middle Bronze Age site in the southern Levant, Najjar said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

Najjar has followed the site since the Tell Al Hammam Project was established there 15 years ago, when he served as director of excavations and archaeological survey at the Department of Antiquities.

“Every year, I was visiting the site during the field season. Last year, the project’s director asked me to join as senior archaeological consultant,” Najjar noted, adding that he was asked because his PhD dissertation was about this particular historical period.

However, not many sites of from the period have been excavated in Jordan, which created a false impression that the land to the east of the Jordan River were on the periphery at the time, as opposed to the core in the land to the west of the river, Najjar underlined.

He added that excavations at Middle Bronze Age sites like Pella and Tell Al Hammam will help fill the gaps in our knowledge on the region.

The site dates back to the Neolithic period, 8,000 years ago, according to the archaeologist.

“The site was occupied uninterruptedly until 1,650 BC. A gap that lasted for 600-700 hundred years was documented in the site’s occupational history,” Najjar elaborated, noting that occupation restarted during the Iron Age (9th century BC) and lasted until modern times.

“It is clear that Tall Al Hammam was a major city with a huge fortification system that included walls, monumental gates and towers. Last year, we started to excavate the Middle Bronze Age palace and we have plans to continue exposing this important administrative building, hoping to find the palace archives,” he said.

Furthermore, Tell Al Hammam was the centre of a city state that included the town itself and probably up to five satellite sites that can be visually seen from the main site, he explained.

“At least 26 hectares of the city were inside the city walls, so the population could easily have exceeded 26,000, according to certain calculations,” Najjar underlined.

Archaeological evidence and scientific analysis showed that the city was suddenly destroyed and abandoned for the more than 600 years that followed.

“No traces of war or earthquakes were noticed in the archaeological record,” the archaeologist said, adding that petrified pottery sherds, bricks and stones point to an airburst meteoric explosion at the northern tip of the Dead Sea which may have caused the destruction.

This theory is supported by a 6 per cent salinity rate found in the soil at the site, which poisoned the ground for 600 years, Najjar said.

The salt originated from the Dead Sea approximately 10km to the southwest of the site, Najjar added, noting that the salt in the soil “couldn’t be explained as sedimentary salts from the ancient Dead Sea because at its highest level, 18 thousand years ago, the Dead Sea’s waters were lower.. than the top of the site of Tell Al Hammam”.

“Most probably the Dead Sea salts were transported to the site or the sites in the area by a shock and heat wave caused by the impact,” Najjar underscored.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree has been issued, appointing Bisher Al Khasawneh as adviser to His Majesty for communication and coordination as of April 23, 2019.

Another Royal Decree was issued, appointing Kamal Al Nasser as adviser to His Majesty for policies and media as of April 23, 2019.

A third Royal Decree appointed Manar Dabbas as Special Adviser to His Majesty as of April 23, 2019.

A fourth Royal Decree appointed Mohamad Eses as Special Adviser to His Majesty as of 23 April 2019.

Another Royal Decree has been issued, approving the resignation of Faisal Shobaki from his position as adviser to His Majesty as of 23 April 2019.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi also accepted the resignation of a number of senior Royal Hashemite Court staff members, within the framework of a restructuring process.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, chairperson of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies’ board of trustees, on Tuesday attended a regional meeting called, “Ending violence against children: the role of religious communities in the Middle East”.

The two-day meeting was organised by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, the Arab organisation for women and children for training and development and Arigatou International, according to a statement from Prince Hassan’s office.

During the meeting, Prince Hassan called for building a new global human system that recognises the value of mankind and protects children from wars and challenges in the region.

Prince Hassan referred to the thousands of children in areas of conflict and war who suffer from hunger and diseases which often lead to death, noting that large numbers of children are also unable to attend school because of conflict.

To generate change for the future of such children, there has to be efforts to support them and alleviate the repercussions of wars by providing them with better lives, he added.

The prince highlighted the importance of establishing an international institution for zakat and social solidarity to offer help for the sake of humanity, empower people, address poverty and destitution, and bring people closer together regardless of their origin, race, colour or religion.

Speaking on violence against children and illegal child labour, Prince Hassan called for strategies and practical solutions instead of meetings simply issuing statements.

During the meeting, Coordinator of the Global Network of Religions for Children Khalid Batarseh added that diversity should not be a pretext for violence and division.

President of the Global Network of Religions for Children Mustafa Ali highlighted the importance of countering the use of social media outlets as platforms for spreading hate and extremism.

President of Arigatou International Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, in a message delivered to attendees of the meeting, expressed appreciation for Prince Hassan’s support to the institution which works in 55 countries.

Miyamoto said that one of the goals of the institution is to build a world full of peace where every child can grow in a secure and proper way and enjoy a decent life.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Muna, president of the Jordanian Nursing Council and patron for nursing and midwifery in the eastern Mediterranean region, on Tuesday attended the inauguration of the second Jordanian nursing forum.

The forum, titled: “Activating laws and policies organising nursing and midwifery”, hosted representatives from healthcare institutions affiliated with the Health Ministry, Royal Medical Services (RMS) and nursing faculties to discuss challenges facing the profession, and explore policies aimed at developing the profession and its personnel.

Princess Muna, in her speech, called for expanding specialised nursing in all healthcare institutions and creating a clear outlook for training policies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The princess said that addressing challenges and fulfilling nursing needs in the community would require everyone’s cooperation, and their commitment to realising goals by 2020, which will mark the year of nursing and midwifery.

Health Minister Ghazi Zaben said that the ministry works to enable nurses to move into specialisations by proving their training and educational capabilities, as well as expanding the continuous education programme.

Zaben added that nurses constitute one third of the ministry’s employees and are keen on providing the best possible services.

Assistant Director General of the RMS Brig. Gen. Shawkat Tamimi said that the forum and its dialogue provide an opportunity to translate national policies into action to contribute to the Jordanian nursing sector.

During the conference, Princess Muna signed a pledge to implement all laws and policies related to organising nursing and midwifery, including the outcomes of the national conference.

AMMAN — The Arab Potash Company (APC) Board of Directors appointed Maen Nsour as president and CEO of the country’s leading mining company effective as of April 23, according to an APC statement.

Nsour was senior adviser for business development and strategies at the APC and chairman of the board of directors of Numeira Mixed Salts Company, the statement said.

Nsour was a member of the APC board in the years 2013-2017 and is currently a member of the board of directors of APC-owned and affiliated companies; the Fertilisers and Chemical Industries Company, Jordan-Bromine Company and Jordan Industrial Ports Company, the statement said.

Nsour holds a PhD in public policy/political economy from George Mason University, USA, a master’s degree in management from the University of Jordan and a BSc in civil engineering from the University of New Haven in Connecticut, USA.

AMMAN — Minister of Education Walid Maani on Tuesday sent a communiqué to all schools to dedicate next Tuesday, April 30, to celebrating the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

Maani also called for all schools to hold different activities including exhibitions depicting the Hashemites and Jordanians’ connection to the Holy City, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — The Saudi Jordanian Investment Fund (SJIF) held its second general assembly meeting on Tuesday, which was attended by the company’s shareholders, board of directors, representatives from the Companies Control Department and external auditors Ernst & Young.

The meeting aimed at reviewing the SJIF’s progress since its inception in 2017, the latest developments in projects it is currently pursuing and any advancement it had made in formulating its investment strategy and internal operations, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

In 2018, the SJIF began operations for its first major milestone — signing a memorandum of understanding with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority in February 2019 for the development and operation of a JD500 million Aqaba-Maan railway and a Maan dry port project.

The projects represent the first phase of Jordan’s national railway network and significantly upgrading Jordan’s logistics infrastructure, according to the statement.

During the meeting, SJIF Chairman Hisham Attar said that the SJIF was preparing to announce several projects in the coming months focused on healthcare, information technology and the tourism sectors.

Furthermore, the chairman said that the SJIF was looking forward to investing in other major infrastructure projects that are in line with both its own strategy and with the government’s investment priorities.

The general assembly meeting further discussed and approved the board of directors’ report and the audited financial statements for 2018.

The SJIF is a Jordanian limited public shareholding company formed in 2017 as a partnership between the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which owns 90 per cent of the company, and 16 conventional and Islamic Jordanian banks, which own the remaining 10 per cent, the statement said.

AMMAN — The Japanese government on Tuesday granted a school bus to Queen Zain Al Sharaf Charitable Association in a handover ceremony held at one of the association’s kindergartens, in Tafileh, southern Jordan.

The deputy chief of the Japanese mission to Jordan, Masahiro Tada, handed the bus over to Yusra Shebailat, head of the association’s administrative board, in the presence of Social Development Director for Tafileh Governorate Abdallah Soqour.

According to a statement that was sent to The Jordan Times, the bus will be utilised for transporting mothers who will participate in the vocational trainings provided by the association as well, the statement said.

In 2018, Japan extended to the association a $49,293 grant for the implementation of “The Project for Provision of Bus to Kindergarten Children in Tafileh”, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects, the statement highlighted.