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AMMAN — Police on Tuesday said they arrested a man a day earlier after false claims that he was run over by a vehicle in Jabal Amman on Sunday.

“We became suspicious of the man’s story because it was inconsistent and we decided to hold him for further questioning,” a senior traffic official said.

The official added that on Monday, a video clip surfaced on social media “showing the same man hiding behind a vehicle then jumping all of a sudden on the main street to be run over by a passing vehicle”, the senior traffic official added. 

“The video confirmed our theory and, based on it, we arrested the man who claimed this false incident,” the traffic official added.

Initial investigations indicated that the man had “previous disputes with the driver of the vehicle and decided to frame him by staging the run-over accident”, the official source told The Jordan Times.

The official added that the suspect is currently in police custody pending further investigation.

Jordanians took to social media to share the news of the incident by circulating the video clip, denouncing the actions of the man whom they said “fabricated the run over incident”.

Nida Oreiqat wrote: “This man was only aiming to make money the easy way.  Simply a new way of begging.”

Meanwhile, Jihad Taher called on the police to “punish the man who appeared in the video for his actions and the driver should also be compensated for the psychological shock he was subjected to after the man jumped on his vehicle”.

Tareq Khateeb added on his Facebook page: “This man should be imprisoned for at least 10 years so that no one will think of committing such a fake act.”

AMMAN — Social media users on Tuesday voiced their outrage over a video that circulated online showing a man reportedly waving a sword and striking a taxi driver with it in Zarqa Governorate.

Police said they are searching for the motorist who was seen clearly exiting his sliver Hyundai vehicle, opening its trunk and grabbing a sword shortly after his mirror touched the mirror of a passing taxi.

The man was seen in the video clip approaching the taxi, then waved the sword and struck the taxi driver’s arm with it before being pushed away by bystanders and a woman who was with him in the vehicle.

Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times that an all-points bulletin was issued on the suspect’s vehicle, adding that the man will be “eventually apprehended because his face, vehicle model and licence plate were clear in the video clip”.

The police official told The Jordan Times that the woman who appeared in the video attempting to stop him “was his mother” and that “she was arrested by police after claiming that she was attacked by the taxi driver”.

“The woman went to the police station to file a complaint against the taxi driver but instead was transferred to the Zarqa prosecutor on false and malicious charges and was ordered detained for one week pending further investigation,” Sartawi said.

Meanwhile, the taxi driver was treated for a deep cut wound and broken bones to his arm, the police official added.

Ibrahim Hweitat commented on the video on his Facebook page saying that “we do not live in a forest. What a shameful act by this man who was carrying a sword”.

Eman Adawi wrote on Facebook: “These people who do not have a brain to think of should be severely punished so that it would be a lesson for others”.

El Karam added on his Facebook page: “Police should investigate why this man is carrying a sword with him in the car.” 

AMMAN — The Lower House’s National Guidance and Media Committee on Tuesday organised a dialogue session on the repercussions of the US decisions to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate its embassy to the occupied Palestinian city.

Participants in the session, including Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani, Awqaf Minister Wael Arabiyat, Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah and MPs, reiterated the Kingdom’s unaltered stance that rejects the decision.

Tarawneh said that the Chamber has embarked on sending letters to Arab, Islamic and international parliaments on the dangers of such a decision and the US plans, which “are null and void, and are biased towards Israel”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He added that the House received positive feedback from these parliaments, especially European and Latin legislatures, which he said, constitutes pressure points in the international arena.  

Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, expressed pride in the Kingdom’s “brave” stance on the US decision before and after its announcement, calling on all state institutions to reflect this stance and convey its firm message to the world through professional means. 

He added that His Majesty King Abdullah’s visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and his meetings with Pope Francis and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday were aimed at reiterating the Kingdom’s rejection of this “unfair unilateral decision and its dangerous consequences that contradict all international resolutions on Jerusalem”. 

For his part, Arabiyat stressed that the Jerusalem issue is not a new concern for Jordan, which has historical stances in defending the city.

The minister added that the ministry has more than 1,000 employees in the holy city and annually pays them around JD15 million as salaries, highlighting the Kingdom’s role in successive renovations to the city to maintain its Arab and Islamic heritage.

Maaytah said that Jordan, upon directives from King Abdullah, held several conferences and contacted heads of state regarding the consequences of the US decision.

MP Abdullah Obeidat, head of the panel, said that the Kingdom is going through a very difficult phase as a result of regional conditions, especially regarding Jerusalem, which requires unified efforts against Washington’s decision and to support the Palestinians.

AMMAN — The EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) is partnering with Jordan Commercial Bank (JCB) to support the development of small businesses in Jordan with a $10 million financing package.

A $10 million credit line will be used for on-lending to local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which are the backbone of the Jordanian economy, the ERBD said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Access to finance remains a challenge for Jordan’s MSMEs, despite the fact that they account for 95 per cent of active firms in the country; MSMEs provide 70 per cent of total private sector employment and generate approximately 40 per cent of gross domestic product.

 “We are very happy to partner with JCB to support lending to MSMEs. We consider MSMEs the backbone of the economy and a priority sector to develop as it contributes significantly to employment and economic growth,” Heike Harmgart, EBRD director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Caesar Qulajen, CEO of Jordan Commercial bank, said in the statement: “The MSMEs segment plays a major role in the development of the economy, especially in light of its vast role in combating poverty and unemployment indicators. The biggest challenge for this segment in Jordan is to obtain financing for their MSMEs projects. The signing of this agreement stems from our belief in the importance of supporting this segment and strengthening its projects and ensuring its continuity.”

The European Union is providing grant support to this transaction as part of a broader initiative channelled through the EBRD and other partners. The EU Financial Inclusion Initiative is a comprehensive programme to help MSMEs in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region to become more competitive and grow. It provides finance and know-how to boost development and create jobs, according to the statement.

Andrea Matteo Fontana, EU ambassador in Jordan, said in the statement: “Thanks to our longstanding and fruitful cooperation with the EBRD, we are able to facilitate access to finance for dynamic entrepreneurs, in particular women and young people, in order to create new jobs in Jordan.”

Jordan became an EBRD country of operations in 2012. To date, the EBRD has committed over $1 billion to 40 projects in Jordan. 

AMMAN — The Jordan Tourism Board on Monday organised a workshop in preparation for the AdventureNEXT Near East (ANNE) conference by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) in Jordan to be held in May 2018.

The workshop titled “Adventure Connect” aimed to enhance cooperation among stakeholders in adventure tourism sector, and raise awareness about the importance of hosting the event.

The conference will see the participation of dozens of tourism professionals from North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and southern Europe to look into ATTA’s multi-year plan and its vision on the region, in cooperation with USAID’s Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project (LENS), and the JTB.

ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell said that “the success of the conference depends on the participants’ positive presence and their eagerness to work with new partners”. 

ANNE aims to enhance partnership between international tourism stakeholders and their regional counterparts. It will also focus on the empowerment of partnerships, Arab hospitality and the importance of the relations created through dealing with the region’s people and their impact on tourist destinations, the JTB said.

According to a LENS study, Jordan can create 500 new jobs in the sector through investing in the adventure tourism that would generate around $10 million annually for the national economy.

During the workshop, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said that the 2017’s conference, which was held in Jordan, was the first meeting specialised in adventure tourism in the Middle East.

Adventure tourism has a direct economic impact on local communities, which are not usually realised through traditional tourism and it enhances the tourism sector, which is a main pillar of the Jordanian economy, the minister added.

For his part, JTB Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat said that the board continuously supports the private sector through cooperation with international organisations that are able to connect the local tourism sector with the international bodies.

He highlighted the JTB’s efforts to attract more tourists through diversifying the tourism sector, including the adventure type.  

Arabyiat told The Jordan Times that partnership with the local communities is essential as it enhances the success of this type of tourism by facilitating the flow of trips and benefiting the local communities.

He stressed the role of media in supporting adventure tourism and its promotion in the Kingdom.         

The ATTA has 1,000 members globally with a vision to support and benefit from the creation of sustainable adventure travel markets.

AMMAN — Nearly three quarters of working women in Jordan (75.9 per cent) believe that women in the Kingdom have reached the same level of workplace equality as women in Western countries, according to a survey by Bayt.com and YouGov.

Three quarters of respondent (74 per cent) also believe that the labour laws in the Kingdom are fair to women, at least to some extent, while only 13 per cent believe they are not fair.

Titled “Working Women in the Middle East and North Africa”, the study aimed at exploring the status of working women in the MENA region by analysing their perceptions towards equality at work, looking into women’s motivations for employment, challenges faced at work, as well as career and life ambitions. 

In Jordan, 70 per cent of respondents say that there is a mix of men and women working in the same workplace, with a majority (65 per cent) of women in Jordan saying they are comfortable working in a mixed gender environment, the study showed.

While almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of respondents working in a mixed-gender environment report having a male manager at their current organisation, nearly the same proportion (73 per cent) has no gender-based preference for a manager.

Almost seven in 10 (68 per cent) working women report that they work almost an equal number of hours as their male colleagues, while 15 per cent believe they work more hours, according to the study. 

As for women-specific benefits in the workplace, the top five benefits MENA respondents receive from their organisations are personal health insurance (47 per cent), paid maternity leave (40 per cent), company transport/transport allowance (34 per cent), job-related training (32 per cent) and family health insurance (23 per cent). 

Challenges for 

working women 

The top three challenges cited by MENA women in their workplace are less opportunity for job promotions (44 per cent), a stressful and demanding work environment (37 per cent), and a lack of or insufficient job training and coaching (30 per cent), the study indicated.

Outside of the workplace, when asked about the key challenges in their life, finding good job opportunities (57 per cent) lack of opportunities to improve their professional skills (41 per cent) and not having enough opportunities to relax or socialise (36 per cent) emerged as top three challenges for women in the region. 

Despite these challenges, a majority of female respondents believe women and men are treated equally in the workplace across a variety of areas, including working hours (68 per cent), training and development (68 per cent), advice and support (60 per cent), recruitment and selection (56 per cent) and benefits (55 per cent). 

“It is given that women play a vital role in the workplace today, and we are glad to see that in the MENA region, organisations are doing much more to accommodate women and promote workplace equality. The results from this year’s survey indicate that organisations in the region are making excellent strides towards achieving total gender balance, even since last year,” said Rania Nseir, director of Business Development at Bayt.com. 

Career outlooks 

for women 

Women’s happiness in the region is largely career-oriented, with having a successful career (49 per cent) emerging as the top driver of happiness. This was followed by good health (42 per cent), travelling and visiting other countries (36 per cent), spending time with their families (34 per cent), and making money (29 per cent). 

Moreover, women in the MENA cite financial independence (59 per cent), the ability to support/financially contribute to their households (50 per cent), the opportunity to broaden their perspectives on life (46 per cent), making use of their education (42 per cent), and securing their family and children’s futures (40 per cent) as their top five reasons for seeking employment, the study showed.

At the same time, women around the world understand the importance of finding balance between their responsibilities at home and at work. In the MENA, more than half (54 per cent) of respondents with children stated that their decision to have children has affected their career, at least to some extent, while 41 per cent said it didn’t affect it at all.

“As the world progresses to bring gender equality to the workplace on a greater scale, perceptions and opinions like those found in this survey provide valuable insight into what is working well and where organisations may need to improve. This survey seeks to better inform organisations in the MENA region and around the world on how they can facilitate workplace equality for their employees — and particularly those that balance their careers with a family and other personal responsibilities,” said Anjali Chhabra, YouGov associate research director.

Data for the survey were collected online from October 26 to November 26, with 4,053 female respondents living in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the UAE.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Tuesday met with an Iraqi parliamentary delegation, headed by the council of representatives’ financial committee Mohammed Tamim, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They discussed means to coordinate stances on various regional issues. Tarawneh praised the two countries’ ties as “longstanding and historical”, which help serve the national and pan-Arab interests. He briefed the Iraqi lawmakers on the repercussions of the regional crises, which had a negative impact on the Kingdom’s economy.

As for the Palestinian cause, Tarawneh said the issue is at the top of Jordan’s priorities, stressing the key role of the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy shrines.

For their part, the delegation members stressed the importance of sustaining bilateral cooperation and highlighted the need to continue coordinating with the Jordanian parliament to serve mutual interests.

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) on Tuesday organised a scientific conference to present the most important studies and findings of research on biodiversity, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the opening ceremony, RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled highlighted the importance of the conference in enhancing research and studies carried out through the biodiversity monitoring centre at the RSCN, noting that they are crucial in shaping the strategies of the society.

The conference included the presentation of several researches related to plants and animals.

The lectures focused on Dana Reserve biodiversity, environmental study on Ghor Fifa, use of land, rangeland and habitat health in the Ajloun Forest Reserve, and a study on Mujib Biosphere Reserve.

AMMAN — The Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA), the Education Ministry and the Civil Service Bureau on Tuesday signed an agreement to train those interested in receiving a diploma in pre-service teachers training before their career at the ministry.

The diploma targets fresh graduates of chemistry, physics biology, mathematics and the English and Arabic languages courses, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

It aims at enhancing cooperation among the three parties and enabling teachers to cope with technological advancements and build future generations, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Tuesday announced that all ministries, government departments and public institutions will observe a public holiday on December 25 and January 1, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.