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AMMAN — Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Zaid Lozi on Monday inaugurated a seminar on “Jordanian-Turkish relations” on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Senior adviser to the Turkish Prime Minister Ali Osman Ozturk, the Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Murat Karakus and several politicians, academics and media representatives attended the ceremony. Lozi commended the distinguished relations between Jordan and Turkey, calling them a “model” of mutual understanding and coordination on regional and international issues. For his part, Ozturk said that Turkey and Jordan face common challenges, adding that Ankara supports Jordan’s efforts in protecting Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Tuesday discussed bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest with Hungarian Ambassador to Jordan Chaba Tsebeera. Tarawneh expressed Jordan’s eagerness to strengthen ties with Hungary, mainly in the fields of water desalination, renewable energy, railway, tourism and cultural exchange, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also commended the ambassador’s efforts to further boost relations between the two countries, mainly in parliamentary fields.

For his part, the diplomat praised Jordan’s stance on regional issues, voicing Hungary’s interest in enhancing relations with the Kingdom in the fields of economy, culture and tourism.

AMMAN — Activists are scheduled to march in protest  on Friday  to denounce the Israeli gas deal on its first anniversary, organisers said.

Hisham Bustami, director of the Jordanian National Campaign Against the Gas Agreement with the Zionist Entity, told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that the march will be held under the slogan "Funding the Zionists with $10 billion rather than developing Jordan" and urged the public to join them in condemning "the national shame".

In September 2016, the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) has signed a 15-year agreement with Noble Energy, a Houston-based company that holds the largest share in the Israeli Leviathan gas field, to receive natural gas supplies at the cost of $10 billion.

NEPCO officials previously told The Jordan Times that the gas deal with Noble Energy would “save Jordan up to $600 million each year”. 

The campaign said in a statement that decision makers have been "insisting on wasting billions earned from the pockets of Jordanians who pay high taxes at a time when alternative energy solutions are available".

"Jordan has self-sufficiency in gas", which is imported from Egypt through the port in Aqaba and the government could invest the billions from the Israeli gas deal in building wind and solar energy stations, the statement said, stressing that the Energy Ministry’s recent strategy has shown that the Kingdom's reliance on gas "will decrease in the coming years".

MP Qais Ziadeen, who took part in the press conference, stressed that the deal exposes Jordan to "threats" through putting the Kingdom “under the mercy of Israel that is considered an enemy, not a friend”. 

Ziadeen said Jordanians have the right to be informed about the deal, the terms and conditions of which are still unknown to the public. MPs also demanded further discussion of the deal under the Dome. 

The Energy Ministry promised to hand in a copy of the deal to the parliamentary energy committee after translating it into Arabic, but this promise was made four months ago and is yet to be realised, MP Saleh Armouti told The Jordan Times. 

The president of the Lower House’s Legal Committee, Mustafa Khasawneh, told The Jordan Times that there has been a delay on the government's part to pass the deal onto the parliamentary committee, which still needs to study the constitutional, legal, technical and economic terms of the contract. 

Khasawneh said that the gas deal is on the Lower House agenda and is scheduled to be discussed at the next ordinary session, which will start in October. 

Among Jordanians who have called on their right to know about the deal, Muayad Majali said he has requested information from the board which allows Jordanians access to public information.

Majali, whose request was denied, decided to appeal to the administrative court, which requested bringing the documents to court, lawyer Sanaa Ashqar, a member of the anti-gas deal campaign who has been working on the case, said in previous remarks. 

 “In today’s [Tuesday] morning session at the court, the government’s representative said that documents about the agreement are secret and are not allowed to be shown to the public,” Ashqar said, noting that the lawyers have appealed the decision. 

Armouti, who attended the court session, said that such cases might put pressure on the government to reveal the terms and conditions of the deal to the public. 

AMMAN — Companies in Jordan can help increase their employees’ productivity, reduce employee turnover, improve gender diversity and support the advancement of women into leadership positions by providing childcare services for their employees, according to a report released today by the IFC, the private sector branch of the World Bank Group.

The report, titled “Tackling Childcare: The Business Case for Employer-Supported Childcare” comes amid rising global recognition among policymakers about the business and development impact of childcare. 

In 11 of the 50 economies examined by the World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law project, employers are legally required to support or provide childcare. Even in the absence of regulatory compliance, many employers are looking to offer childcare support and achieve better business outcomes. 

In Jordan, the case study of the childcare centre “MAS Kreeda Al Safi-Madaba” showed how the centre contributes to improving workforce stability through reduced absenteeism and improved retention. It also helps ensure a high production rate, and reinforces the company’s reputation within the local community, according to the report. 

Commenting on the report, Ahmad Awad, director of the Phenix Centre for Economic and Informatics Studies, said businesses in Jordan that employe 20 women or more are obligated by law to provide childcare facilities and services to their employees.

Providing childcare services contributes to ensuring increased women participation in the Jordanian economy, he noted.

“The percentage of women participation in the Jordanian economy stands at 18 per cent at present. This is one of the lowest in the world and providing childcare service and facilities for women encourages them to work,” Awad told The Jordan Times.

“Many women quit their job when they get married in Jordan, but the number of those working women who quit is even higher especially when they have kids. When working women have children, they prefer to raise their kids at home instead of working as they cannot afford working while sending their kids to private childcare centres, which have high fees,” he added.

Although the Labour Law in Jordan makes the creation of childcare centres for women obligatory, abidance by the law is “fluid”, he said.

“There is a need for better enforcement of the law to ensure that women feel comfortable when going to work, which helps boost their loyalty to the workplace, productivity and performance,” Awad added.

Hala, a 25-year-old IT staff who works at an international NGO in Shmeisani, said she thought of quitting her job after she gave birth a few months ago.

“I send my child every day to my mother’s house so she can take care of him until I finish work. My salary is JD500 and it does not make sense to pay for a childcare centre as their prices are high. It is tiring to drive from my house to my mother’s to drop my son then to work every day,” she explained.

“I wish we had a childcare facility at our NGO. I would then have no problem spending more time at work. It is very hard to manage all this,” she told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Nena Stoiljkovic, vice president of Blended Finance and Partnerships at IFC, said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times: “Without a fully equal work participation of women and men, no country, community, or economy can achieve its potential or meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

The case studies in the report showed that employers that offer childcare reported a substantial reduction in employee turnover, an improvement in the quality of applicants and the speed at which vacancies can be filled. They also cited increased productivity through reduced absences, greater focus, and enhanced motivation and commitment, as well as improved gender diversity and advancement of women into leadership positions.

Better and affordable childcare services are increasingly seen as a critical driver of economic growth. When working mothers and fathers participate equally in the workforce, they are more likely to increase their household incomes, and have a greater impact on the growth of companies and economies, according to the report. 

In addition, children with access to early-childhood education and care are healthier, perform better in school, and become more productive adults, the report concluded.

AMMAN — The preparatory committee of the Joint Jordanian-Palestinian Higher Committee on Tuesday discussed cooperation between the two countries, especially in the economic fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, chaired by Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah and Palestinian Economy Minister Abeer Odeh, the committee approved the agenda of the higher committee that will convene on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki and his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah are scheduled to chair the higher committee’s meeting, which will cover the issues agreed upon during the preparatory and the technical committees’ meetings that have been taking place since Sunday.

Qudah expressed hope that the meetings will lead to the removal of obstacles hindering the increase in bilateral trade and the joint economic projects between the two countries.

“Politically and socially, Jordan has to be the strategic trade partner for Palestine,” the minister said, adding that distinctive relations should be translated into increased cooperation between the two countries.

For Jordan, trading with Palestine is not only an economic process, but also a political and nationalist one, according to the minister.

He commended listing Palestine as a member of the Agadir Agreement, which was signed in February 2004 between Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

He noted that the trade value between Jordan and Palestine in 2016 reached $178 million, compared to $156 million in the previous year.

For her part, the Palestinian minister stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation to overcome the obstacles that hinder trade and investments, thanking Jordan for its support to the Palestinian economic sector. 

AMMAN — Kamal Ali Saleh Smadi on Tuesday took the oath of office before His Majesty King Abdullah as president of the Higher Sharia Court. 

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Chief Islamic Justice Sheikh Abdul Karim Khasawneh attended the ceremony, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

A Royal Decree was issued earlier in the month appointing Smadi as president of the Higher Sharia Court as of September 20.

The court was established last year for the first time in Jordan as the top authority in sharia (Islamic law) judicial system.

It looks into the rulings issued by sharia courts of appeal to ensure that they are compatible with the relevant laws, according to the website of the Chief Islamic Justice Department.  

AMMAN — Jordan has exported more than 3,200 tonnes of fruits to Iraq since the border between the two countries reopened last month, a government official said on Tuesday.

Fruits, mainly peaches, are currently the main agricultural produce exported to Iraq, and the country is scheduled to receive winter produce as soon as the cold weather starts, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

“A total of 113 refrigerated trucks carried 3,200 tonnes of fruits to the Iraqi market over the past week, as exporting to Iraq officially restarted,” Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin told The Jordan Times.

Jordan and Iraq reopened the Karameh-Turaibil border crossing earlier this month after it was closed since the summer of 2015 for security reasons.

Before the border closure, a total of 100 refrigerated trucks carrying 2,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables were travelling daily to the neighbouring country, according to agriculture sector representatives. They also stated that the border closure resulted in a drop of fruit and vegetable exports by 70 per cent.

Iraq mainly imports tomato, eggplant, cucumber, potato and citrus fruits from Jordan, among other crops, according to the Jordan Valley Farmers Union.

Haddadin said he expected the amount of exports to increase soon.”The fact that 113 refrigerated trucks transported agricultural exports to the Iraqi border during the past week or so is actually a very good indicator that the volume of agricultural exports will return to its previous levels gradually,” Haddadin highlighted.

Sector representatives said in earlier remarks that the reopening of the Karameh-Turaibil border crossing came at the “right time” as farmers are preparing their land for winter crops, which are Iraq’s main agricultural imports from the Kingdom.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday issued directives to provide the necessary medical care to 10-year-old Ibrahim Khawaldeh, who was born with a deformity that left him with one leg longer than the other, a Royal Court statement said.

Khawaldeh, who lives in Zarqa, appeared in a trending video on social media while “desperately” waiting for His Majesty, who was on a visit to the governorate, 25km  east of Amman.

In the video released by the Royal Court’s media office on social media, the King, who apologised for “not being able to see you yesterday”, promised the boy to meet with him again after his surgery at King Hussein Medical Centre in order to check on him.

The boy told the Monarch that he was only able to wave to him. 

Khawaldeh has had six surgeries before, but none yielded the hoped for result. 

When he saw the video, His Majesty ordered bringing the kid over to talk to him and to “make his dream come true”. 

Othman Khawaldeh, Ibrahim’s father, told The Jordan Times over the phone that his son suffers from “short femur length” and when he underwent surgeries, they were not “100 per cent successful”, so when he falls or gets hit on his right leg; “it breaks”, because the ligaments “did not grow with the growth of the bones”.

Commenting on Ibrahim’s status, Waleed Al Emam, an orthopaedician, said: “Sometimes, children suffer from poliomyelitis, which is caused by a viral infection in the early beginnings of their lives, and it causes muscles, tissues and tendons atrophy in the lower part of the body”.

“He was very happy to meet His Majesty the King, and he says that it was the best day of his life”, Othman said when asked about his son’s reaction to having met the King.

He added that an appointment was scheduled for his son with specialised doctors to diagnose the case next Tuesday.

“Ibrahim is smart, and he is a very optimistic kid and has a strong will, but sometimes I see him frustrated when he watches other kids playing football in the neighbourhood,” the father concluded. 

MADABA —  Interreligious dialogue must be followed by action and inspire working together  to shape a culture of peace and harmony, said officials during the seminar “Prophet Moses In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” on Monday.

Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Hassan and Jan Figal, EU special envoy for the promotion of freedom of the religion or belief, the event was organised by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS), the EU delegation in Jordan, and the Italian embassy.  

RIIFS is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on the inter-disciplinary study of inter-cultural and inter-religious issues with the aim of defusing tensions and promoting peace, both regionally and globally, according to its website.

Majeda Omar, RIIFS director, said that despite differences in the Abrahamic religions, pluralism is part of the divine plan.

“By holding this seminar, we want to show that genuine interfaith dialogue and trialogue has to be preceded by religious tolerance that acknowledges differences and celebrates our distinctive paths,” RIIFS’ director said.

She added that tolerance is the first step in paving the way towards mutual acceptance.

Omar said that the event’s timing was “crucial” as the region is engulfed in conflict and turmoil, highlighting the location of Mount Nebo as sending a “message of peace, mutual understanding, and respect of differences”.

In the paper he presented, Fr Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, said that the life of Prophet Moses represents a “model” of relationship with God, and of the will for goodness and freedom.

Fr Patton told the Jordan Times that the seminar aims to show that the life of Prophet Moses is an example that can unite and facilitate dialogue between the followers of the Abrahamic religions.  

The two-day event, which concluded on Tuesday, was attended by a number of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars.

Ahmad Hamzah, researcher at Al Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism, said that there are no contradictions in the prophet’s story in both the Torah and the Koran, adding that, while the Torah gave the detailed story of the prophet and showed historical incidents, his life was also briefly mentioned in the Koran, focusing on the lessons learnt from his life. 

Fr Peter Madros, priest at the patriarchate of Jerusalem, presented a paper titled “Moses in the Three Monotheististic Religions: Less Known Aspects” that discusses the interfaith dialogue  that Jordan has represented since the 90s, the challenges religions faced because of atheism, and the differences in the prophet’s story in the three Abrahamic religions.

He told the Jordan Times that there is no contradiction between knowledge and harmonious living, but that contradiction arises with ignorance. 

“The problems the West is facing today is because it has been denying religion, while our problems are because we have politicised it, allowing religion to have a bigger impact on our lives than it should have.”  

Samer Azar, pastor of the Lutheran Church in Amman and Synod president of the Evangelical Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, told the Jordan times that the conference will reach its aim once it goes beyond the text, and said that it does not aim to reconcile the various stories of the Prophet Moses in the three monotheistic religions, but to see him as a unifying factor.

AMMAN — The Haya Cultural Centre on Monday launched the “Haya Art Exhibition”, showcasing over 300 artworks produced by children through different programmes organised by the centre’s Department of Visual Arts over the past three years. 

Up for sale, all the artworks’ proceeds will go to the “Art for All” scholarship fund, aimed at making the centre’s programmes accessible to children from underprivileged areas. 

The centre’s signature programme, “Art with Famous Artists”, introduces children to renowned artists and the art movements they represent, providing the talented youth with the inspiration to create their own work within these lines.

In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, head of the centre’s visual arts department Luma Azar noted that the centre’s philosophy is “to teach art knowledge alongside technical skills”. She explained how each session of the programme focused on a specific artist and the related terminology and techniques. 

Muhanna Al Durra, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo are some of the artists who inspired the work of these children, who crafted their own pieces while emulating the style of renowned artists. 

“Art and the Community” is another one of the major programmes that lead to the pieces presented in the exhibition. It targets underprivileged children by reaching out to their local areas through charitable organisations and local community initiatives. 

The exhibition also showcases the results of an initiative funded by the European Union National Institute for Culture, aimed at building bridges of communication between different cultures through art. 

The programme was implemented in the governorates of Irbid, Karak, Zarqa, Mafraq and the Greater Amman Municipality, in collaboration with Jordanian artist Suhail Baqaeen.