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AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday received a phone call from US National Security Adviser John Bolton during which they discussed the strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as a number of regional issues.

The two sides affirmed the importance of maintaining Jordanian-US coordination on various matters of mutual concern, a Royal Court statement said. 

The conversation also covered efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis through the Geneva process, one that guarantees the territorial integrity of Syria and the unity of its people.

Moreover, the two sides stressed the importance of maintaining the de-escalation zone in southwestern Syria, established last year under a trilateral agreement reached by Jordan, the United States and Russia.

Discussions during the phone call also addressed efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach, and Jordanian-US cooperation in this regard.

Also on Sunday, King Abdullah received a delegation from a United States-based policy institute specialising in the Middle East peace process.

King Abdullah called for stepping up international efforts to jumpstart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process to reach a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty reaffirmed that Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved within the framework of a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The King stressed that Jordan will persist in undertaking its historical role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite custodianship.

The meeting covered the vital role of UNRWA and the importance of supporting the UN agency to enable it to maintain its educational, healthcare, and relief services for refugees.

Discussing the Syrian crisis, His Majesty asserted Jordan’s support for efforts and initiatives to reach a political solution within the Geneva process, which ensures security and stability for the Syrian people and guarantees the territorial integrity of their country.

In addition, discussions addressed crises in the region and efforts to resolve them politically.

Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the King’s Office Manar Dabbas attended the meeting.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday was keen to directly intervene to present assistance to several citizens whose cases were addressed at the "Honestly with Rotana" radio show, where the King telephoned host Yasser Nsour.

During the call, His Majesty highlighted the importance of meeting these citizens' needs, stating: "It is our duty to stand with them and help them."

King Abdullah noted that he directed stakeholders at the Royal Hashemite Court to follow up on these citizens' conditions and provide them with the necessary assistance.

He expressed his keenness to support children of martyrs, saying: "They will have all my support; they will always receive our support and attention".

"This is the least we can do; as I said more than once, no day passes without thinking about citizens and how we can ease their burdens and improve their living conditions," the King added.

His Majesty urged the radio station to continue highlighting citizens' concerns, stressing that the core role of professional media is to shed light on issues related to the daily lives of people.

Among the cases reviewed in the show was the case of Itaf Khawaldeh, a widow who suffers from severe vision problems. She has five children and lives in a rented house.

The show also highlighted the case of Firas Bani Abdou, who cannot work, has a family of nine members and lives in a house unfit for human habitation, as well as the case of Lara Aqel, the widow of martyr Khalid Hawamdeh, who is a mother of five, including a five-year-old daughter with hydrocephalus.

AMMAN — Housing developers on Sunday started a week-long work strike in protest of the recently endorsed building by-law, scheduled to go into effect on May 1st.

About 95 per cent of the country's 3,400 housing companies halted their construction activities as part of the strike, and dozens of others cancelled their orders to purchase steel, cement and other construction materials, Zuhair Omari, president of the Jordan Housing Developers Association, told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

"This is only the beginning, and we will escalate until this by-law is abolished… Our sector has incurred huge losses so much so that we cannot tolerate any more," said Omari.

"The by-law is totally unfair and harms our investments, especially since demand has been on the decline over the past years," Omari said.

Trading in the real estate sector declined by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 to JD1.399 billion compared with JD1.505 billion during the same period last year, according to official figures.

The sector, which employs tens of thousands of Jordanians, has been witnessing slow business since 2015. The total value of apartments that have been built since 2015 to date and have not been sold yet is estimated at JD1 billion, according to the sector leader.

The by-law, which was recently published in the Official Gazette, stipulates that housing apartments must be at least 110 sq.m in categories B, C and D, and 130 sq.m. if they are classified in A zones, which, according to housing developers, would limit buyers’ options.

Under the by-law, housing developers cannot build small apartments anymore although the demand in the market is on apartments that are smaller than 120 sq.m, according to Omari.

According to the association’s figures, 32 per cent of Jordanians who bought apartments in 2017 chose ones that were smaller than 120 sq.m.

The bulk of the demand is for apartments of 90 and 80sqm, according to the association.

Salem Saeidi, a cement and construction material trader, said demand has dropped by about 25 to 35 per cent on construction materials over the past five years.

“Housing companies have reduced their construction activities to the minimum… They are waiting to sell the apartments that are still on sale… all traders of construction materials have sensed the sluggish construction activities,” Saeidi, who owns a store in Al Urdun Street area, told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

Manar Al Kharouf, who owns a housing company, said: “This by-law is ridiculous… we want it scrapped.

“Middle-income Jordanians cannot afford to buy large apartments … if this by-law goes into effect, I prefer to shut down my company, which, by the way, employs 320 people,” she told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

“Our sector is huge, and all other sectors will be affected due to the low demand on houses… This industry will crumble under any new burdens,” she added.

On May 2, housing developers plan to hold a protest near the headquarters of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) downtown with the participation of representatives of all other affiliated sectors that are negatively affected by the decision.

Officials at GAM were not available for comment despite repeated attempts by The Jordan Times.

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Sunday paid a visit to Karak Creativity Club, where he was acquainted with the achievements and training programmes of the youth facility, a Royal Court statement said.

The Prince commended the club for its accomplishments, stressing the importance of spreading the club's concept across the Kingdom.

He stressed it was vital to improve the capabilities of Jordanian youth and empowering them to contribute to the development process through innovative solutions. 

His Royal Highness toured the club, the first of its kind in town, 180km southwest of Amman, and was briefed on the plans designed to improve the skills of children and young people from the age of five to early twenties.

He also had a firsthand look at the technology education programmes, which include training on robot building, electronics and critical thinking, in addition to music programmes, which culminated into gathering a musical band that has participated in various performances across Jordan.

He also took a look at paintings by the club members that focused on environment, citizenship and social issues, in addition to programmes to teach filmmaking and animation.

The Prince attended a discussion session titled "Creativity: Essential or a Luxury", in which participants discussed the importance of improving creativity for young people to address economic and social challenges.

Karak Creativity Club was established in 2010 as a non-profit institution that works on empowering young people in Karak and enhancing creativity among them, with plans to duplicate the experience in other parts of the Kingdom. 

The Crown Prince also visited Karak Castle where he toured the landmark and chatted with a number of tourists of various nationalities.

AMMAN — Saleh Abu Tayeh is set to fill the Southern Badia District's Lower House seat which was left vacant after the death of MP Mohammad Amamreh in a car accident on Saturday.

Abu Tayeh, who ran in the 2016 parliamentary elections, came second in Amamreh's four-member list "Almustagbal Al Mushreg" (bright future) gaining 2,797 votes. Amamreh gained 3,092 votes, according to the Independent Election Commission (IEC).

According to Article 53 of the 2016 Elections Law, "If a seat in the Chamber of Deputies becomes vacant for any reason, the vacant seat shall be filled by a candidate from the same winning list of the previous seat holder, based on the number of votes obtained by each candidate on that list. If this cannot be achieved, the vacant seat shall be filled by a candidate from the next list with the highest number of votes, based on the percentage of votes obtained".

According to Article 88 of the Constitution, the Lower House must inform the IEC of an MP’s death within one month from the date of its occurrence.

Deputy Amamreh and seven people, including six of his family members, were killed on Saturday in a road collision with a winch truck while driving in a detour area near Swaqa.

Amamreh and his family members were laid to rest on Sunday in Sadaqa village in Mreigha District in Maan Governorate, some 220 km south of Amman

AMMAN — Central Amman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel have arrested a suspect who allegedly faked car accidents with other vehicles to receive money before ensuing with legal procedures, the Public Security Department (PSD) announced on Sunday.

CID agents received a tip-off on the issue and verified information that led to identifying the suspect who was later arrested and confessed to staging 14 false accidents in various areas of the capital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, citing a PSD statement.

The PSD stressed that relevant laws regulated all procedures related to traffic accidents to ensure the rights of all parties, calling on citizens to follow legal procedures when getting involved in such accidents to avoid falling victims to such fraudsters. 

AMMAN — International medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has urged the international community to scale-up healthcare funding for Syrian refugees in the region and make it “a priority”, an MSF statement said.

Ahead of the Brussels conference on Syria, MSF stressed that the recent decision to increase public healthcare fees for Syrian refugees could impact their access to healthcare and lead to increased vulnerability.

The February cancellation of subsidised healthcare services for Syrian refugees living in Jordan means that they now have to pay 80 per cent of the “foreigner rate”, a two- to five-fold increase of the cost of public healthcare.

“We are concerned that Syrian families could start to de-prioritise seeking healthcare for themselves or their family members because of other needed living expenses, such as paying rent. As adaptive measures, Syrians may resort to self-medication or other alternative less costly means that could be inadequate or even harmful,” said Brett Davis, MSF’s head of mission in Jordan. 

AMMAN — An eastern military zone unit has thwarted an alleged drug smuggling attempt on the Jordanian-Syrian border, in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Department and military security, a military source at the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army has said, quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Sunday.

The source said that rules of engagement were applied after detecting a vehicle approaching Jordanian territory, forcing it to retreat into Syria.

The source added that after searching the area, 118 blocks of heroin and six bags containing 910 palm-sized sheets of hashish were seized and transferred to the concerned authority.

AMMAN —Deputising for HRH Prince Hassan, Chairman of the University of Jordan’s board of trustees Adnan Badran on Sunday attended the opening ceremony of the 1st Middle East conference titled “the rule of law and religion”.

In the prince’s speech delivered by Badran, Prince Hassan said that the rule of law is the base of governance which plays a great role in realisng peace, stability and development, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He noted that Islamic jurisprudence corresponds to the concept of the rule of law. The prince noted that the Amman Message and the Royal discussion papers guarantee the rule of law and the social justice.

AMMAN — The number of visitors from Gulf countries to Jordan reached 261.644 in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 43 per cent compared with the same period last year, an official said.

The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) General Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat said on Sunday that 170,000 tourists from the Arab Gulf states visited Jordan during the first four months of 2017. 

In remarks to The Jordan Times, Arabiyat contributed the rise to the number of visitors to several factors, mainly increasing the JTB 2017's budget to JD35 million "for first time".

The allocations enabled the board to implement several promotional campaigns and participate in several tourism exhibitions in the Gulf countries to attract nationals and expatriates there to the Kingdom.

Currently, JTB is participating in the 25th Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, an event that showcases the latest trends and technologies in the hospitality and aviation markets, according to Arabyiat.

The director said that the market, which will be held between April 22 and 25, is among the most important international tourism exhibitions that focuses on creating jobs and enhancing cooperation among tourism sectors and airliners.

Jordan's participation aims to promote the Kingdom at the Gulf and other countries and introduce international stakeholders to Jordan's diverse tourism products, the director said.

"The market is a great opportunities to shed light on Jordan's rich heritage and the availability of multiple types of tourism including historic, adventure, recreational, health, business and conferences", said the official.  

Twelve Jordanian companies representing travel agencies, hotels and airlines are taking part in the event, according to Arabiyat.  

He also said that Jordan is among the most "suitable" countries to host tourists from the Gulf counties, especially families.

The official announced that several festivals and activities will be organised this summer to enrich the experience of the visitors.