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AMMAN — Travel agents have praised the launch of 14 new airline routes to Jordan operated by a European low-cost carrier, scheduled to begin from summer 2018.

Meanwhile other agents called for launching similar routes from major and traditional markets, from which Jordan receives more tourists.

The routes to be operated to Amman include:  Milan, Budapest, Bologna, Krakow, Bucharest, Paphos, Prague, Brussels, Vilnius and Warsaw. While the routes to be operated to Aqaba are:  Athens, Rome, Cologne and Sofia.

Anas Shishani, a tour operator, said that the step is “absolutely” a good thing as it would bring new tourists from untraditional markets.

“For our agency, we do not receive tourists from these countries and we totally depend on west European and North American countries,” said Shishani, adding that authorities should take into consideration the statistics of the countries Jordan receive tourists most and take similar measures. 

Firas Dakkak, an inbound travel agency owner, commended the new routes as they will enhance the publicity and exposure of Jordan and increase the numbers of visitors.

“It’s something that we all should be proud of,” Dakkak added.

For outgoing agencies, they will benefit from organising trips from Jordan to these new destinations including accommodation, transport and tours but will not profit from booking flights, as “it will be done online by clients themselves”, the agent said.

The new routes will also impact Jordanian airlines in terms of prices, he added.

Najat Tammuoni, an outgoing travel agency manager, said that Jordanians would be delighted to travel to these new destinations.

Yet, organising trips for Jordanians to these EU countries requires “a tedious visa process”, which contributes to lowering the number of tourists and slowing down the process.

During a press conference on Sunday, the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) announced the launch of 14 new airline routes to Jordan operated by the European low-cost carrier Ryanair, scheduled to start from summer 2018.

The first route will operate from Paphos (Cyprus) to Amman starting in March, followed by nine new routes to Queen Alia International Airport and four other to Aqaba’s King Hussein International Airport starting in the winter of 2018, according to a press release by the ministry. 

The new routes are expected to bring up to 500,000 customers per year and 340 new on-site jobs, according to Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer David O’Brien.

Tourism Minister Lina Annab said that “this significant development in Jordan’s tourism industry will offer travellers a greater choice and value for money,” adding that “enhancing air connectivity is one of the key areas Jordan is focusing on, given its impact on unlocking economic growth through attracting business investment as well as spurring tourism”.

JTB Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat said that “opening up new routes to the Kingdom from several crucial markets is key to efforts aimed at bringing tourists for extended stays in Jordan.”

The launching of the new routes will be accompanied by several marketing campaigns based in the new source markets in Europe according to Arabiyat, who noted that the new strategies would target specific types of tourists such as religious, adventure and business travellers.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarwaneh on Monday discussed means to enhance bilateral relations and regional issues with Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Hidenao Yanagi, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Tarawneh reiterated Jordan’s unaltered position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Tarawneh also briefed the Japanese envoy on Jordan’s burdens resulting from hosting large numbers of refugees. For his part, Ambassador Yanagi conveyed to Tarawneh a written message from his Japanese counterpart on ways to bolster bilateral relations between the parliaments of the two countries. 

AMMAN — A Jordanian-EU twinning project aiming at enhancing the Kingdom’s capabilities in dealing with disaster, natural disasters and their risks was launched on Monday.

The project, implemented in cooporation with France, was launched by Interior Minister Ghaleb Zu’bi, president of the Higher Council of the Civil Defence Department (CDD), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the launch ceremony, Zu’bi said that the project comes as part of cooperation between Jordan, the EU and France, especially in the fields of civil defence and protection, stressing the need for preparing a comprehensive national strategy to deal with nature and man-made disasters and mitigate their effects.

For their part, ambassadors of the EU Andrea Fontana and of France David Bertolotti stressed keenness on sustaining communication with the CDD and the relevant institutions to preserve the levels of readiness and response to disasters, as well as exchanging expertise with Jordan and providing it with support and relief requirements. 

AMMAN — Sri Lankan embassy on Sunday celebrated the country’s 70th national day.

During the ceremony attended by HRH Princess Basma, Sri Lankan Ambassador Abdul Latiff Lafeer outlined his country’s political, social and economic development since its independence as well as investment opportunities in Sri Lanka for Arab and foreign investors, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also highlighted the deep rooted relations between Jordan and Sri Lanka over the past 53 years. He also said that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to $50 million, and the Sri Lankan investments in Jordan is estimated at $30 million. 

AMMAN — Banks restrictions in granting individual loans increase women debt from microfinance companies, according to a statement by the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI).

Commercial banks “have tight constraints on loans as they require a monthly salary or a permanent income”, SIGI said.

Securing loans in banks also “requires mortgaging immovable property, bank statements and guarantors”, the statement read. Unlike banks, granting loans for women who do not have a job or a source of income in microfinance companies is facilitated by loan guarantees, SIGI added.

This puts women at risk of being unable to repay and thus being liable for legal prosecution.

SIGI called on relevant bodies to reconsider the required conditions for loans as well as to focus on women vocational training to support them and empower them to achieve economic growth. 

AMMAN — Jordanians between the ages of 18-30 years are invited to participate in a “unique experience” under the European Union funded initiative RISE Campaign-”fly to the top” that has kicked off recently via social media outlets and community based outreach and auditioning events and performances, an EU delegation in Amman said in a  statement on Monday.

The campaign aims to motivate youth to further explore and express their talents in the following categories: individual singers, or within a band, solo musicians or within a band and visual artists, according to the statement.

The campaign starts with uploading a clip of the participant, or a high resolution photo in the format of professional video (up to five minutes) and or professional photography, and sharing it on their social media platforms with the hashtags of the campaign  #Rise talentshow #EU4youth and  #EuropeForCulture, until  February 20.

Winners will be announced in an official ceremony.

The Rise Campaign is supported by The European Union to advance youth participation in social development through art and culture, concluded the statement.

AMMAN — Acting Prime Minister Mamdouh Abbadi said that protesting agriculture leaders agreed to end their several-day sit-in in front of Parliament after contacting them through the Lower House's Agriculture and Water Committee's President Khaled Hiyari, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said.

Abbadi voiced the government's keenness on removing all obstacles facing the agriculture sector, adding that a meeting between the sector's representatives and Prime Minister Hani Mulki will be arranged once the premier is back to the country.

Farmers have staged in a sit-in in front of Parliament for five days protesting the government's recent decision to increase taxes on agricultural products.  

AMMAN —  HRH Princess Ghida Talal, Chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), launched an awareness campaign titled "Up to the Challenge?” on the occasion of World Cancer Day, which took place Sunday, according to a statement from the foundation on Monday. 

In her message on social media, Princess Ghida said: "I am sure your will have no limits. I am sure your determination will conquer cancer. I am sure you are up to the challenge.

" The "Up to the Challenge?" Campaign targets all segments of society. Participation is open to everyone by choosing a health challenge in one of five different categories: smoking cessation, healthy eating, physical activity, early detection, and joining the Cancer Care Programme  for cancer coverage, according to the statement.  

AMMAN — HRH Princess Sanaa Asem, chairperson of the higher oversight committee at the Arab Renewable Energy Commission on Monday visited Greater Irbid Municipality, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Princess Sanaa toured the municipality's projects, which recycle waste for generating electricity as part of the smart city initiative.

During the visit accompanied by Mayor Hussein Bani Hani, Princess Sanaa said that "recycling wastes would bring in revenues that can enhance the local services", stressing the importance of the cooperation between the commission and the municipality to overcome any barriers that may hinder such projects.

For his part, Bani Hani highlighted that the municipality is planning to conduct a number of similar projects among which is a power farm that supplies street lighting and municipalities buildings.

AMMAN — While most children get back on their routines after the winter break, 14-year-old Syrian refugee Nizar strives to return to school while working to support his family. 

"I love it — I do love school, and I miss it so much," he told The Jordan Times during a visit to the Makani centre in Sweileh, where he shared his struggle to continue his education after fleeing the Syrian conflict with his family. 

"I wanted to get back to school when we arrived here because I know that it is where I should be — but they told me I was too old," Nizar said, explaining how instead, he works 11 hours a day for a daily wage of JD5 to help his family. 

“The problem relies on the fact that the public school system has a series of regulations on the age and the amount of years that children have been out of school when it comes to reintegrate them,” UNICEF Chief of Education Iris Uyttersprot told The Jordan Times in a recent interview, noting that “however, several alternative opportunities exist under the umbrella of what we call non-formal education”.

“Through the Ministry of Education, we reach out to vulnerable children in order to offer them the opportunities that are most suitable to their situation,” Uyttersprot explained. 

A catch-up programme is available for children aged nine to 12 to introduce them in an advanced learning path and integrate them back into the formal education system, while children over 12 can get involved in dropout programmes aimed at providing them with learning opportunities towards further education and employment choices in their adult phase. 

Nizar is now looking up to this opportunity to have a life similar to that of 12-year-old student Abdullah, who spends his days in between school and the Makani centre in Sweileh.
"I go to school every day, and when the classes are over, I go home and continue to do my homework and study," Abdullah told The Jordan Times when asked about his day-to-day life. 

"My older brothers go to school too and I know that this is the right thing to do," he continued, expressing his fear that people would "laugh at me, or tell me that I am lousy, if I was not going to school". 

Twelve-year-old student Haitham saw his efforts compensated after spending two years out of school while fleeing the Syrian conflict, and is now happy to be back on a routine similar to Abdullah's. 

"I always wanted to be an engineer or an architect, and during those two years, I would see all those children going to school and I would feel so bad that I was not with them," he said.

"I used to feel like I could not read or write — I was stuck, and I couldn't wait to be back in school again," he expressed, adding that "that's how I knew that I had to do my best to be back on track, and now I am here and I am happy — I know that there is a future awaiting".

Although the Government of Jordan has provided Syrian refugees access to schools, only 142,000 were enrolled in the public school system as per last year, out of the 230,000 Syrian refugees that are school-aged, according to UNICEF figures

An additional 30,000 children were attending non-formal education and approximately 58,000 children were not participating in any form of organised learning, while an estimated 30,000 vulnerable Jordanian children were also out of school. 

Fourteen-year-old refugee Hasan is one of the many children who still remain out of school in Jordan, unable to continue his education after dropping out at 2nd grade in Syria. 

"Of course I would like to go back to school, and I am still trying," Hasan told The Jordan Times, explaining how he could not catch up once settled in Jordan due to his age. 

"I feel really bad because I can't go to school and I do not have a job either like some of my friends do," he continued, elaborating on the period in which he attempted to work but had to leave unpaid. 

UNICEF’s innovative Makani  (My Space in Arabic) approach aims to expand learning opportunities for all children not accessing any form of education in Jordan through an holistic approach that provides all vulnerable children and youth with learning opportunities, life skills training and psychosocial support services under one roof, according to Uyttersprot.

Makani centres are located in cities, urban centres, Syrian refugee camps and vulnerable settlements in all 12 governorates of Jordan. All services at Makani centres are free of charge and open to all children in the catchment community, especially vulnerable girls and boys, irrespective of their nationality, abilities or status.