Local

AMMAN — The e-government’s steering committee on Saturday discussed the readiness of entities to launch 10 priority electronic services in early 2018, and work progress in the 2017-2020 electronic transformation plan.

During a meeting, chaired by ICT and Public Sector Development Minister Majd Shweikeh, the panel approved recommendations in the plan that will be referred to the Cabinet, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The recommendations included the scrutiny of e-government services in terms of infrastructure and information security, and highlighted the commitment of all government and security agencies to provide data on the interconnection system.

The proposals also approved the launch of the second phase of the transfer to electronic service and directed the relevant ministries and affiliated departments — the ministries of agriculture, environment, labour, awqaf, transport, foreign and expatriate affairs, municipal affairs and tourism — to adapt the electric transformation in coordination with the ICT Ministry.

The government’s keenness to provide and accelerate electronic services is in line with the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah to ease procedures for the citizens, Shweika said during the meeting, which was also attended by the concerned ministers and officials.

By providing electronic services, she pointed out, the Kingdom will reach a new stage of development in government performance, where the ICT ministry worked with ministries and government institutions and service partners to ensure that the users face no difficulties and address any obstacles facing the provision of such services.

Shweikeh stressed that information security should be given utmost priority to provide completely safe electronic services and address any security loopholes that may occur when providing these services especially that electronic payment is one of the most important component of the electronic services.

The minister said that several of ministries and government entities are ready to launch online services by the beginning of next year, including the Land and Survey Department, the Ministry of Justice, the Greater Amman Municipality and the Social Security Corporation.

She said that 79 other e-services are also expected to be launched in 2018.

AMMAN — UNICEF and Injaz signed a joint “Volunteering Incentives Programme” agreement to provide vulnerable youth with access to volunteer opportunities, according to a statement from the UN agency.

The agreement signed by UNICEF’s Representative Robert Jenkins and Injaz CEO Deema Bibi aims at expanding employment prospects for vulnerable young people by facilitating their access to professional engagement opportunities, the statement said.

As part of the programme, an online match-making platform, will be developed to enable young people to create profiles, undergo an online volunteering, life and employability skills and career essentials trainings and look for opportunities that match their preferences. 

The programme is also designed to motivate the active youth on the platform by allowing them to accumulate points based on their volunteering work and redeem these points with rewards. These incentives include, but are not limited to, certificates of experience, internship, apprenticeships, trainings, and paid jobs, according to the statement.

“Young people constitute a major asset for Jordan and this project seeks to help them explore their potentials,” Jenkins was quoted in the statement as saying.

“UNICEF will continue working with the government and civil society to provide better opportunities to build youth capacities,” he added. 

The programme aims to reach at least 50,000 vulnerable adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years in 2018 with and one million youth by 2022. 

“INJAZ welcomes this strategic partnership with UNICEF, which aims at promoting and strengthening the culture of volunteerism among youth at a national level; this partnership will indeed have great impact on Jordanian youth, and the country at large,” Bibi said in the statement.

Bibi also asserted that “volunteerism has always been a key component in the successful implementation of INJAZ programmes since its inception, with over 30,000 volunteering opportunities in schools, universities, colleges and youth centres, through partnerships with the public and private sectors and civil society organisations”.

Bibi went on to explain that per the agreement, an online platform will be established to target youth in Jordan with the aim of matching them with available volunteering opportunities in the private sector and civil society organisations.

To achieve objectives of the project, UNICEF and Injaz will work with key stakeholders including the Government of Jordan, donor community, private sector, the civil society and youth to strengthen the institutional frameworks for youth volunteerism, volunteer management and youth volunteering incentives mechanisms, concluded the statement. 

AMMAN — Authorities have arrested four people in Azraq, east of the country for allegedly drilling an illegal well and obstructing enforcement of the law, an official source said on Saturday.

In the process, authorities seized and confiscated a “sophisticated” drilling rig for digging deep wells, the official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation said.

A team from the ministry escorted by the Royal Badia Forces raided late last week a large plantation in Azraq after receiving information on an ongoing illegal drilling of a well in a private farm.

“The team inspected the farm and searched for the drilling site and the drilling rig, which was concealed upon news of an inspection team approaching. However, the inspectors discovered the place of the drilling rig and the well,” the source told The Jordan Times.

As the team was leaving the plantation with the confiscated drilling rig, relatives and owners of the farm locked the doors to prevent the ministry’s officials from leaving with the drilling rig, the source said, noting that the accompanying security force arrested those involved.

“The team sealed the well and seized and confiscated the drilling rig, while security authorities referred the suspects, two Jordanians and two Egyptians, for legal action for obstructing the work of the team,” the official said.

The ministry banned the drilling of wells in 1998 to limit random pumping of water, in order to preserve aquifers from depletion and salinity.

Water theft and violations on the water network and resources are being targeted by an ongoing campaign, launched by the ministry in 2013.

Recent ministry figures show that 32,000 violations on water networks and resources have been stopped since the campaign started. In addition, a total of 900 illegal wells have been sealed, 53 drilling rigs confiscated and 800 cases referred to courts.

In the process, a total of 25 million cubic metres of water have been retrieved per year, according to the ministry, which encouraged the public to contact the ministry’s unified water emergency number on 117116 to report any suspected violations against the water network and resources.

AMMAN — Saturday marked the 42nd birthday of HRH Prince Ali, who was born on December 23, 1975 to Their Majesties the late King Hussein and the late Queen Alia.

Prince Ali began his primary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman and continued his studies in the UK and the US, before graduating from Salisbury School in Connecticut in 1993, where he excelled in sports, particularly wrestling.

He then joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was awarded the Brunei Medal for Excellence, and was commissioned as an officer in 1994.

Before continuing his studies in the US, Prince Ali served in the Special Forces as a pathfinder, earning his military freefall parachute wings.

In 1999, Prince Ali was asked to serve as commander of His Majesty’s Special Security in the Royal Guards, serving in that capacity until January 28, 2008, when His Majesty King Abdullah entrusted him with establishing and directing the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management.

Prince Ali, who currently serves as an officer in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army with the rank of major general, is president of the Jordan Football Association and the West Asian Football Federation, as well as chairman of the Royal Film Commission (RFC).

On January 6, 2011, the prince was elected FIFA vice president for Asia.

He also chaired the social responsibility committees at FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.

In 2012, Prince Ali founded the Asian Football Development Project, a non-profit youth commission based in Amman, whose objective is to provide effective, need-based assistance to all Asian, national and regional football associations and affiliates in a fair and transparent manner.

The prince has also been chairing the RFC since its establishment in 2003. The commission works to develop the local film industry to enable Jordanian filmmakers to compete internationally.

On September 7, 2004, the prince married HRH Princess Rym, daughter of veteran UN and Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. They have a daughter, Princess Jalila, born on September 16, 2005, and a son, Prince Abdullah, born on March 19, 2007.

AMMAN — Jordan’s stance on Jerusalem was not an “instant act” but continuous course of action led by His Majesty King Abdullah, who spares no effort to support the holy city and the Jerusalemites in their steadfastness, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said on Friday.

In an interview with Jordan TV’s 60 Minutes, the minister said that King Abdullah is the custodian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and he has embarked on effective actions at all levels to limit the consequences of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Jordan rejects the US move and considers it a violation of international law, Safadi added, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The Kingdom works in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and the Arab and Islamic countries to implement an international stance against changing the Arab identity of Jerusalem, and preventing attempts to establish new facts on the ground, said the minister.

As for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution rejecting the US government’s unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and to relocate the US embassy to the holy city, Safadi said the resolution is not binding but “we are talking about a political move”.

The US, he said, vetoed a Security Council resolution supported by 14 other UN Security Council members, a move expected, as the US itself took the decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem despite opposition from the majority of world countries.

Safadi reiterated Jordan’s stance that calls for realising the right of the Palestinian people in establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

The minister also emphasised that there can be no lasting peace in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestinian issue adding that a recent meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which was convened at the request of Jordan, made it clear that it rejects the US decision.

Future actions, Safadi added, are aimed at exerting every effort at the Arab and Islamic levels with a clear strategy to limit the consequences of the US decision.

Safadi pointed out that an Arab ministerial committee will convene soon to look into next steps and shape a roadmap towards moving with the support of international community to affirm that Jerusalem is a final status issue, and can only be decided through negotiations in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

He also stressed the importance of working jointly with the European Union and the international community to emerge from the political stalemate and to prevent further despair and cycle of violence that threaten the Middle East.

The top diplomat also called for activating the Jerusalem Fund, which was approved by the Arab League, through chanelling resources to preserve the Arab presence in the holy city and counter actions aimed at changing the status quo in Jerusalem.

AMMAN — Al Hannouneh Society for Popular Culture members performed a traditional dance outside the US embassy in Amman on Friday in solidarity with Jerusalem.  

Nimat Saleh of Al Hannouneh Society for Popular Culture said the event was carried out in line with the public’s stance towards Jerusalem.

“We wanted to hold this performance to reject the decision of US President Donald Trump. The Palestinian rights should not be affected. Jerusalem is for us and the right of return is for us,” she told The Jordan Times outside the US embassy. 

She noted that the performances were aimed at defending the identity of Jerusalem, as the land and the identity are interconnected.  

In addition to traditional dances, Al Hannouneh members sang traditional songs, where around 200 Jordanians joined the event with great enthusiasm. 

Saif Tomar, who attended the performance, said the event highlights the Palestinian heritage and “supports protesters in their open sit-in outside the embassy”. 

Former tourism minister Maha Khateeb said Friday’s event showed Palestine and Jordan have a shared heritage. 

“Art is a representation of nations’ civilisations, unlike other nations that steal the Palestinian dress and Arabic music,” she added.

AMMAN — Traffic officials on Saturday said they arrested a motorist who was allegedly driving in reverse in a two-lane road on a busy street in Amman

The suspect was arrested after getting involved in a “minor accident because of his reckless driving backwards in a Mecca Street, a very busy area”, a senior traffic official said.

At the same time, the traffic official told The Jordan Times, the video of the motorist went viral, “which helped our investigators conclude that the vehicle involved in the traffic accident was the same one that appeared in the video”.

“Our investigation team managed to conclude quickly that it was the same motorist and he was detained and his vehicle was seized as well,” the traffic official said.

During initial questioning, , the traffic official said that “the motorist claimed that his vehicle malfunctioned and that is why he was driving in reveres mode”.

“Our technicians are inspecting the vehicle and he was issued several traffic citations including hindering traffic and getting involved in a road accident,” the source added.

A second senior source told The Jordan Times that his actions fall under first degree felonies and he will be “referred to the judiciary for further legal action”.

The second source added that this is the second incident to be reported in Amman in almost the two years.

In May 2016, a motorist was also caught on a mobile phone camera that went viral driving in reverse in his Mercedes car.

“That man also claimed that his car had malfunctioned and he had to drive it in reverse mode,” the second senior official source said.

Traffic officials have said recently that most of the road accidents registered in the Kingdom are caused by “human error”, including not abiding by the traffic regulations.

AMMAN — Jordanians on Friday praised a UN General Assembly resolution on Thursday rejecting the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

During a sit-in held outside the US embassy in Amman on Friday, protesters expressed hope that the vote by more than 100 countries will have a positive impact on Jerusalem issue. 

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the motion by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions; in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a “massive setback” for the US.

Younes Abu Salem, who came from Baqaa refugee camp to join around 200 people who gathered outside the US embassy, said the decision was the result of efforts exerted by His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to bring the world’s attention towards Jerusalem. 

“The countries that voted in favour of the US decision do not have any international influence,” he told The Jordan Times during the protest. 

Moawyah Hideeb, another demonstrator, said the UN voting highlights the “positive stance” of the international community towards Jerusalem. 

“Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and Palestinians will always resort to the United Nations for support,” he added. 

Waheeb Diab, another participant, said people should be realistic about US President Donald Trump’s and Israel’s disregard of this vote. 

“This vote is better than nothing and we hope that this will be positive for the case of Jerusalem and we hope that these countries stick to their stance,” he said.  

AMMAN — Arab scholars on Saturday sent a cable to His Majesty King Abdullah, in which they expressed appreciation and respect for his “brave” efforts in defending Jerusalem and its holy sites.

The scholars and researchers were participating in a workshop organised by “A doctor at every factory” programme that was held at the University of Jordan, in cooperation with the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organisation and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In the cable, the experts — representing Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Libya, Bahrain, Sudan and Lebanon — said that the Hashemite custodianship over holy sites dates back to era of Sherif Hussein Bin Ali, and the world has realised the important role of Jordan in defending Islam’s tolerance and holy sites.

They also expressed their appreciation and respect for His Majesty’s continuous efforts in supporting science and scholars, and his vision for developing academic research and innovation.

They also issued a statement denouncing the US decision and expressing their support to Jordan in defending Jerusalem.

In the statement, they said: “As Arab scholars, experts and researchers representing our countries... and based on the history of the Arab and Islamic nation, we reaffirm that Jerusalem is an Arab city and is the capital of Palestine.”

AMMAN — Civil society institutions on Friday held demonstrations across the Kingdom in solidarity with Jerusalem and to protest US President Donal Trump’s decision that recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The “Jordan national campaign of loyalty to homeland and the King”, in cooperation with the motorcycle owners club, organised an event titled “Jerusalem in the eyes and the hearts of the Hashemites” in the Dead Sea area.

Speakers at the event unanimously commended the unified stances that reject the US decision, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Political parties and professional associations in Karak, 140km south of Amman, organised a protest against the US decision, stressing Jerusalem is an Arab city.

They also praised the international position and the UN General Assembly resolution that denounced the US decision.

In Tafileh, 180km southwest of Amman, a march started from the Grand Mosque after the Friday prayer, in protest of the US decision, where participants highlighted the dangerous repercussions of this decision.

Meanwhile in Jerash, 48km north of Amman, political parties organised a protest sit-in at the Hashemite Mosque Square, denouncing Trump’s decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Also in Jerash, the Crown Prince Foundation’s “Haqeq” (achieve) initiative held a silent sit-in and a candle light vigil at the city’s Hashemite Square in solidarity with Jerusalem and in protest of the US decision.

Participants at the event used candles to form the words “Jordan, Jerash and Jerusalem” to highlight the Jordanian-Palestinian unity, according to Petra. 

A similar event was organised in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, near the Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, where participants called for the unity of the Islamic and Arab nations in defence of Jerusalem and its holy sites to stop the Judaisation of the city.

Maan, 220km south of Amman, also witnessed a sit-in in protest of the US decision, where protesters called on Arabs and the international community exert efforts to safeguard the identity of the holy city.