Local

AMMAN — A training bootcamp aimed at supporting local designers and fashion creators was conducted last week, as part of the creative design incubator Dezain Space in collaboration with the EU-funded Jordanian Action for the Development of Enterprises (JADE) project.

Twenty five local start-ups underwent an intensive five-day training, where they learned about a variety of topics ranging from business establishment to attracting investment.

“This bootcamp demonstrates the impact we can have in developing startups in Jordan and the thirst for such services in the creative industries. We’re continuing our support to startups with a number selected for incubation services — who are now part of our community,” said Dezain Space Managing Director Sima Najjar, who is also a specialist in fashion, technology and social development.

“We offer them a space to work, business support, mentorship, networking and access to investment critical for upcoming designers to grow, scale, and create an international footprint through sales and exposure,” she told The Jordan Times after the bootcamp.

Launched in January 2018, Dezain Space began after Najjar and entrepreneurs Rasha Barakat and Shamekh Bluwi realised the need for creative start ups to receive “the same push that their peers in the IT sector received from incubators in Jordan”.

One of the first platforms available for designers to develop their marketing, creative and financial skills, Dezain Space is supported by Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC) and Zain, and aims to enable talented and creative youth to turn their ideas into productive projects through various training and workshops, according to its website.

“One of the main purposes of the bootcamp is to help unleash each designer’s potential. It is a highly competitive industry, and, in order to make it, you need to have an interesting product with an unmatched quality,” explained creative director, Shamekh Bluwi, adding: “We encourage the designers to tweak their products, test them and sell them to know for a fact that they have what it takes to be a successful brand with a scalable business plan.”

“What surprised us and it’s something we’ve found out after the first bootcamp was over, is how we have created a network; an infrastructure of local designers who help and support one another,” Bluwi, who is also the co-founder of Dezain Space, told The Jordan Times on Thursday, noting “their aim now is to work on their designs and products with the help of the mentorship and guidance we offer them to go international.”

Implemented as part of the EU funded JADE project, which partnered with Dezain Space, the bootcamp aimed at providing further support to creative businesses in Jordan, enhancing their market linkages, and increasing their growth and exports capacities, according to a joint statement. 

“Jordan has untapped talent in the creative industries that are on a track to grow, but for that to happen they need our support. That is why we are partnering with leading incubators such as Dezain to back government efforts in providing support to entrepreneurs,” said Hamzeh Shamaileh, project manager for the JADE project, adding that “together, we will be able to overcome ongoing challenges — and not only that, but successfully compete in the region and internationally”. 

A three-year project aimed at contributing to the private sector the development in Jordan, JADE provides support to 100 SMEs and 60 innovative startups, offering them opportunities to increase their exports, maximise their productivity and create new employment opportunities, the EU website said. 

AMMAN — HRH Prince Mired, the president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), on Thursday discussed several issues related to the employment and training of persons with disabilities (PWD), during a meeting with Labour Minister Samir Murad, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prince stressed the need to hold public and private institutions and civil society organisations accountable towards PWD so as to create a participatory and complementary relationship that best serves PWD. He highlighted the need to fully support and integrate them into the labour market, thus enabling them to achieve economic independence.

Murad stressed the importance of coordination in establishing a national plan of action for the training and employment of PWD, pointing to the need to develop the necessary policies and programmes in accordance with the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

AMMAN — Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh on Wednesday said that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is scheduled to start construction works at the Sports City Intersection project, part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, within one month.

In a meeting with stakeholders from the Amman Traffic Department, Shawarbeh highlighted the importance of using the best detours that guarantee smooth traffic movement, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Amman Traffic director Col. Bassem Kharabsheh expressed the department's keenness to find effective detours at the site, which usually witnesses heavy traffic flows. Construction at the intersection include building two 500-metre-long bridges over the roundabout for the BRT and establishing a tunnel and a station for busses and passengers, Petra added.

AMMAN —Twelve Jordanian food companies are scheduled to participate in the Summer Fancy Food Show 2018, slated for next Saturday in New York City, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Their participation in the three-day exhibition is organised by the Jordan Exporters Association (JEA) and the Jordan Investment Commission.

JEA President Omar Abu Wishah stressed the importance of participating in such global food exhibitions, which bring together companies from around the world, offering a key opportunity for Jordanian enterprises to promote their national products and conduct business deals with international groups.

He pointed out that the US market is one of the strongest in terms of purchasing power, adding that this participation could enhance the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. 

The participation also aims to find new markets for Jordanian products in light of “losing” some traditional markets due to the regional turmoil and closure of borders with some neighbouring countries, he added.   

AMMAN- The World Bank (WB) decided to extend $500 million in concessional financing to support Jordan's ongoing reforms to improve the economy and business climate by reducing business costs fostering competition, and increasing exports.

The financing seeks to support Jordan to promote inclusive economic growth, create more jobs, and expand the National Aid Fund cash transfer programme to cover an additional 85,000 households, according to a World Bank statement emailed to the Jordan Times on Thursday.

The First Equitable Growth and Job Creation Development Policy Loan (DPL) will also expand social safety nets to protect the poorest against economic shocks, boost job creation, and improve access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The programme will have a specific focus on creating opportunities for young people and women, the WB indicated.

The $500 million DPL consists of a grant of $111 million from the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) and a non-concessional portion of $389 million.

The non-concessional portion has a fixed spread and a final maturity of 35 years, including a grace period of four and a half years.

"The World Bank reiterates its unwavering commitment to support Jordan at this critical juncture," Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq Regional Director, said in the statement.

"The new Jordanian government has the opportunity of a fresh start to build consensus for reforms based on a broad consultative approach. We look forward to supporting Jordan’s efforts to unlock the potential of its human capital, increase its competitiveness, kickstart growth and boost job creation," the WB official said.

The programme will support reforms to reduce business costs and improve market accessibility as a way of boosting productivity. At the same time, creating flexible and integrated labor markets and better, more efficient social assistance will allow more Jordanians to work, and allow those that do not have employment or decent incomes to benefit from social assistance.

"The broad set of actions stipulated by this programme will set the foundations for higher growth and employment in Jordan,"  Christos Kostopoulos, World Bank Lead Economist and Co-Task Team Leader, said in the statement.

"In particular, flexible and part-time work opportunities are expected to promote a higher labor participation rate among women and youth, thus increasing their economic empowerment," Kostopoulos said.

Launched in 2016, the GCFF provides concessional financing to middle income countries hosting large numbers of refugees at rates usually reserved for the poorest countries. The programme brings the World Bank Group’s total commitments to Jordan to $1.3 billion, of which $1.1 billion is on concessional terms.

AMMAN — Chairs and members of a number of US Congress committees affirmed on Wednesday that the United States stands by Jordan to enable it to overcome challenges as it pursues comprehensive development, stressing their support for the Kingdom as a strategic partner for their country.

During His Majesty King Abdullah’s meetings in Capitol Hill with the Senate committees on armed services, foreign relations and appropriations; and the House committee on armed services, the US lawmakers expressed their appreciation of Jordan’s efforts to bring security, peace and stability to the region, commending the Kingdom’s humanitarian role towards refugees, according to a Royal Court statement. 

Also at the meetings, a number of which were attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, the US lawmakers said they appreciate His Majesty’s leadership and vision on bringing security and stability to the Middle East, stressing that their meetings with the King are an opportunity to listen to his insight on the region.

The chairs and members of the committees also praised Jordan’s efforts to fight terrorism and extremism within a holistic approach.

His Majesty’s second day of meetings at the US Congress committees covered the political, economic, and military partnership between Jordan and the United States, in addition to regional and international developments.

Discussions addressed the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries and means to advance it further, as well as the impact of regional crises on Jordan’s economy and the economic and fiscal programmes undertaken by the Kingdom to stimulate economic growth and build a resilient, job-creating economy.

Discussing the pressures brought on Jordan’s economy from the Syrian refugee crisis, King Abdullah stressed that Jordan has reached its limit and cannot take in more refugees, affirming that the Kingdom’s security and interests are the priority.

His Majesty urged the international community to uphold its humanitarian responsibilities towards the Syrian people and work towards ending the escalation in southern Syria.

The King also outlined Jordan’s positions on regional issues and crises, especially the developments related to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the Syrian crisis.

His Majesty stressed the need to step up efforts to break the impasse in the peace process, arriving at just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King noted the important role of the United States in relaunching serious and effective Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

His Majesty reiterated that the subject of Jerusalem must be settled within the framework of a final solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, underlining that Jerusalem is the key to achieving peace and stability in the region.

Discussing the Syrian crisis, the King affirmed the need to maintain stability in the de-escalation zone in southwestern Syria and respect the trilateral Jordanian-US-Russian agreement in this regard.

His Majesty also called for intensifying efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves the unity and the security of its people, and its territorial integrity.

Moreover, discussions tackled overall crises in the region, in addition to international and regional efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Adviser to His Majesty for Economic Affairs Mohammad Eses and Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States Dina Kawar attended the meetings.

In a press interview after the meetings, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said members of the Senate appreciate the ties of friendship between the United States and Jordan, and their two peoples.

“We also always enjoy hearing [His Majesty’s] view of what’s happening in the region… so we have always a very heavy attendance of Senators when he comes,” Corker added.

The lawmaker said the King “is someone we consider a thoughtful voice on foreign policy issues”.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah was announced on Wednesday as the 2018 Templeton Prize Laureate, for his efforts to promote religious harmony within Islam and between Islam and other religions, according to a statement by Templeton Foundation. 

“The King’s long quest to promote peace-affirming Islam gained momentum in 2004 in the wake of the Iraq war when the fragile unity of Sunni and [Shiite] Muslims in the region was at substantial risk,”
the statement said.

During that period, it continued, increasingly vocal rhetoric from marginal Islamic groups threatened to create deeper schisms within the Islamic community.  

In the face of these challenges, the King launched the breakthrough Amman Message that articulated a clear understanding of the central elements of Islam, and affirmed that terrorism and violence have no place in the religion, a Royal Court statement said.

The following year, “he assembled 200 scholars from 50 countries representing all schools of jurisprudence in Islam who, under his guidance, issued a declaration now known as the ‘Three Points of the Amman Message.’  The first point recognised the validity of all eight legal schools of Islam.  The second forbade declarations of apostasy (known as takfir) between Muslims, while the third established conditions for issuing fatwas, Islamic legal rulings.  The Three Points have come to represent an unprecedented and almost unanimous religious and political consensus by Muslims around the globe.  Since then, more than 450 Islamic scholars and institutes from more than 50 countries have endorsed it.”

Highlighting another interreligious initiative in 2006, the foundation said that King Abdullah supported the initiative known as “A Common Word between Us and You”, which led to a 2007 open letter from Islamic religious leaders to Christian religious leaders.  A Common Word contains a call for peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians based on the twin commandments shared by both faiths, namely “love of God” and “love of the neighbour”.  “Originally signed by 138 Muslim leaders and scholars from 52 countries, it now has more than 400 signatories including nearly 300 endorsements from a wide range of Christian leaders, and is considered by many to be the most important Muslim theological initiative towards Christians.”

The statement also highlighted the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week initiative by the King, which led to the UN General Assembly resolution expanding the twin “love” commandments by adding “love of God or love of the good” to “love of one’s neighbour”, thus, including all people of goodwill, with or without faith.  

Adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly, the resolution established the first week of February as UN World Interfaith Harmony Week to stress the moral imperative of promoting and understanding the values of peace inherent in all religions.  It is generally acknowledged as the first and only time that the United Nations approved a resolution explicitly citing belief in God.

“Through these groundbreaking initiatives and many others, King Abdullah has led reclamation of Islam’s moderate theological narrative from the distortions of radicalism.”

The Templeton Prize is one of the world’s largest annual individual awards and honours a person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.  

Established in 1972 by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, the prize is a cornerstone of the foundation’s international efforts to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the deepest and most profound questions facing humankind.  The foundation supports research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and emergence to creativity, forgiveness and free will.

In a videotaped message on www.templetonprize.org, Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation and grand-daughter of Sir John Templeton, said: “His Majesty King Abdullah’s work is indeed inspiring.  He has underscored the importance of Islam’s diversity rather than seeking to invent or enforce uniformity where none exists.  He has built upon the power of principled pluralism to extend religious harmony among the 1.8 billion followers of Islam, the world’s second largest religion, so that each can recognise one another as Muslims.”

She added:  “King Abdullah offers the world the true definition of a spiritual entrepreneur, a person shaped by temporal and political responsibilities, yet who holds both the belief and free expression of religion as among humankind’s most important callings.”

“Beyond his activities within Islam and between Islam and other faiths, the King has also tirelessly defended and supported refugees from across the Middle East, hosting and offering safe haven for millions fleeing conflict.  Additionally, he has protected Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites at considerable personal and monetary expense,” the foundation said.

His Majesty King Abdullah, in his videotaped acceptance of the prize on www.templetonprize.org, said: “Our world needs to confront challenges to our shared humanity and values. They are the very ground of the coexistence and harmony our future depends on. And this is why I feel it is so urgent to promote tolerance and mutual respect, support inclusion and hope, speak out against Islamophobia and other wrongs, and make our values a real force in the daily life of the modern world.”

His Majesty continued: “The Templeton Prize has blazed a trail for all of us, by upholding the importance of spiritual discovery and spiritual values across religions. And I am pleased and humbled to share your path. It is my deep and sincere hope that this award will continue to promote love and harmony within and among religions, and that in doing so, will invite the blessings of God upon us all.”

In his letter endorsing King Abdullah‘s nomination for the Prize, the Very Reverend Professor Iain R. Torrance, Pro-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, wrote:  “The immensely important work of King Abdullah II lies in his decisive leadership and convening authority in worldwide Islam to call a principled halt to sectarianism and to mutual denunciation”.  

The King’s work, Torrance added, epitomises progress “in the sense that through scholarship, example, encouragement, and publication, King Abdullah has offered the inherently flexible structures of Islam space to re-set and look again at matters of justice, interfaith relations and neighbourliness”.

In her reference letter, Georgette F. Bennett, president and founder of the Tannenbaum Centre for Inter-religious Understanding, a New York-based organisation dedicated to fighting religious prejudice, stressed the King’s efforts:  “His leadership. His courage. His grace under fire. His unwavering commitment to expanding the boundaries of interreligious understanding.”

The statement also underlined the King’s efforts to restore and develop the Christ Baptism Site, also known as Bethany beyond the Jordan, on the Jordan River’s east bank, “which most Christians consider the site of Christ’s Baptism”, which UNESCO unanimously approved as a World Heritage Site in 2015. 

“He has ensured that various denominations received blocks of land to build churches there, and a conference centre opened in 2012.”

The statement added that King Abdullah’s leadership also has guaranteed safe haven for Jordan’s ethnic and religious groups, including several denominations of Christians who are free to worship according to their own traditions.  Moreover, it said, Jordan has hosted waves of millions of refugees since its independence in 1946 — Palestinians, Iraqis, Libyans, Yemenis and, most recently, Syrians fleeing the Syrian civil war — representing the embodiment of the Islamic requirement to care for strangers and affirm the dignity of life.

King Abdullah joins a group of 47 Prize recipients including Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama (2012) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2013).  

His Majesty King Abdullah II will be formally awarded the Templeton Prize in a public ceremony in Washington, DC, on November 13, the foundation announced. 

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to lower the tax on hybrid vehicles, weight fee on all vehicles and keep tax exemption on electric vehicles (EV's), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

These decisions came after various meetings between stakeholders and the government, in which the sector's difficulties were discussed, President of the Jordan Automobile Agents and Automotive Parts Association Tarik Tabba said.

They are acceptable decisions for stakeholders, especially agents, as they are “clear and give agents a sense of stability in the market that enables them to better plan their business”, Tabba told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

"Although we demanded cancelling the weight tax, and our request was turned down, at least, traders now know what to do in comparison to the previous governments' unpredictable decisions," Tabba said.   

He expressed appreciation for the government's “responsive manner” in addressing the issue that led all to reach a "middle ground".

For Jihad Abunasser, an automobile investor, the time-framed and stable regulations are more important than the tax reduction itself. He also praised  Prime Minister Omar Razzaz for his insistence on reaching a consensus rather than imposing his decisions.

Now, traders know how the situation would be in the coming 3.5 years in terms of regulations, he said, agreeing with colleagues that such an environment facilitates sound business planning.  

"The previous government did not even accept to sit with us or even communicate in any way," Abunasser said, adding that the former government raised and levied taxes suddenly and without any coordination or giving heads-up.

This government, upon the directives of Razzaz, met with stakeholders over two days for four hours on each occasion, “which was against the will of some ‘reversing forces’ inside the government”, according to Abunasser.

Finance Minister Ezzeddine Kanakrieh, Jordan Customs Department (JCD) Director General Maj. Gen. Wadah Hmoud and Income and Sales Tax Department Director General Hussam Abu Ali attended the meetings and discussions.

The decisions stipulate decreasing the clearance tax on hybrid cars from 55 to 30 per cent till the end of this year with a gradual increase by 5 per cent till 2021 reaching 45 per cent.

For scrapping old fuel-run cars and exchanging them for hybrid vehicles, the government reduced the tax to 12.5 for the rest of this year with an increase to 20 per cent in 2019, 25 per cent in 2020 and 30 per cent in 2021 for two-year-old cars. In case the imported car is more than two years old, 5 per cent will be added to the clearance tax. 

The weight tax on cars below 1,000kg has been slashed to JD350 instead of JD500 for cars weighing below one tonne, while it has become JD500 instead of JD750 for cars that weigh between 1,000kg to 1,250kg, and keeping the tax as is for cars between 1,250kg-1,500kg, at JD1,000, according to Petra, and for vehicles above 1,500kg, which will remain JD1,500.

AMMAN — Passengers heading to the US on board Royal Jordanian are from now on required to place powder-like substances, such as cosmetics, ground coffee or spices, weighing over 350 grammes in their checked bags, recent regulations by the American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) stated.

As of June 30, US security officials will require more screening of powdered substances in carry-on bags on international flights headed to the United States.

Passengers carrying larger amounts of powders including food, ground coffee or cosmetics could have their bags opened and the powder subjected to a test for explosives, the TSA indicated, noting that it already requires the extra screening before domestic flights.

American Airlines is telling international passengers who have more than a soda-can amount of powder to put it in checked baggage, which undergoes more sophisticated scanning to detect explosives, the AP reported.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Wednesday, Royal Jordanian urged its passengers traveling to the United States to abide by these instructions to facilitate their travel.

Examples of powder-like substances are flour, sugar, ground coffee, spices, powdered milk and cosmetics among others, whereas customers travelling with baby formula, medically necessary powders and/or human remains will be exempt from screening, RJ said.

The new TSA regulations stated that if the powder cannot be cleared by security officials, passengers’ bags will be prohibited from the cabin of the aircraft. This decision becomes effective on June 30, 2018.

“This enhanced security measure applies to all flights coming from abroad to the US, including Royal Jordanian services flying from Queen Alia International Airport to RJ’s stations in New York, Chicago and Detroit, in addition to Montreal, as it is served by a combined flight with Detroit,” RJ said in the statement.

“The directive does not, however, apply to flights from/within the United States,” it said.

AMMAN — Three shells on Wednesday fell in Ramtha, 90km north of Amman, coming from the Syrian side as the Syrian army intensified its attacks against rebels in the south.

The shells caused no injuries as two of them fell in empty lands to the west of Akeider area and the third fell in the nothern neighbourhood near Al Abrar Mosque but did not explode, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Following the incident, the military engineering corps dealt with the shells and disposed them.

For the past few days residents of Ramtha have been hearing sounds of loud explosions inside the Syrian lands, it was reported.

The battles are taking place in a de-escalation zone that has seen relative calmness since a deal was signed in 2016 between Jordan, US and Russia. 

“We are following up closely on the situation in southern Syria, and we are working with the Americans and the Russians to reach a deal to protect our national interests,” State Minister for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat has told The Jordan Times recently.