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AMMAN — The amount of proven uranium reserves in central Jordan will most likely be announced during the first half of this year, according to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad Hamed.

He made his remarks during a visit to the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) on Monday, where he met with its chairman, Khaled Toukan, and discussed progress in Jordan’s peaceful nuclear programme, including the agency’s efforts to explore uranium in the Kingdom’s central areas, citing studies that proved its economic feasibility.

The minister checked on progress made towards implementing Jordan’s nuclear programme, which includes the establishment of a nuclear station for electricity generation with a capacity of 1,000-megawatt (MW) by 2023, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The $5 billion station, whose operational life will stand at around 60 years, compared to the 25-year lifespan of traditional stations, is expected to constitute 35 per cent of electricity generated in the Kingdom.

Hamed also checked on works carried out to construct a nuclear research reactor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, in addition to Jordan’s project to explore for uranium, according to Petra.

The 5MW nuclear research reactor will serve as a training ground for nuclear engineers and physicists who will man the country’s nuclear programme in the future.

AMMAN — A new campaign was launched recently with the aim of bringing together all voluntary initiatives in the Kingdom to better serve society and the country.

Dubbed “Ahel Al Balad” (the people of the country), the campaign seeks to become an umbrella for all voluntary groups to ensure the sustainability of their activities, according to Luma Qadoumi, who launched the campaign with nine other Jordanians.

“We want to create a network consisting of all volunteers in Jordan to let them work with each other and implement their ideas together through Ahel Al Balad,” she told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

Qadoumi noted that there are many voluntary groups in Jordan working separately, and this might not be beneficial in the long run.

“Their activities are not sustainable. Our idea is to bring together all volunteers to enable them to organise their activities regularly and cooperate more closely,” she said.

“For example, maybe one person from the south wants to plant trees; he/she can meet new volunteers who are interested in the same topic via the campaign’s network,” Qadoumi added.

The activist urged volunteers to join Ahel Al Balad to serve society in a more organised manner.

“Ahel Al Balad is open to everyone who has an idea that can benefit our society in all its domains,” Qadoumi added.

The first initiative launched under Ahel Al Balad was called “The country is clean with its people,” she said, adding that it aimed to end the practice of littering.

She noted that they conducted a study to find out why people randomly throw trash.

“Many people said they did so because the taxes they pay cover sanitation workers’ salaries, so they don’t feel they should avoid littering, while others said there was no difference if they stopped littering as others will continue to do so.”

Qadoumi said littering has a negative impact on tourism.

“Many of my friends who visit Jordan complain about the great amount of garbage on the street.”

Ahel Al Balad, she said, will start conducting awareness campaigns next month through radio and TV advertisements and billboards, adding that clean-up activities will be implemented with volunteer groups in the Kingdom.

The campaign will also cooperate with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) in its activities.

“We want to install garbage containers in places that receive a great number of visitors like Rainbow Street. GAM has already supported our idea, which will be implemented by collecting donations from the public,” she added.

Qadoumi said the campaign will also work with GAM to enforce the laws against littering.

“There are laws that punish people who throw garbage, but they are not well enforced,” she noted.

Qadoumi stressed that Amman residents are also responsible for keeping their city clean.

“We painted graffiti on a wall near the municipality’s headquarters in Amman displaying the name of the clean-up campaign,” the activist said.

“We used orange because it represents the colour of sanitation workers’ uniforms and also attracts attention,” she added.

More information on this campaign is available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ahelalbaladJO) and Twitter (@ahelalbalad).

AMMAN — The total number of Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Jordan reached 585,656 individuals by January 12, according to a report issued by the UN agency on Monday.

The weekly report, which covers the January 5-12 period, also indicated that 1,678 Syrians entered the Kingdom in the period in question.

The report, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times, showed that between December 29 and January 12, 4,558 refugees were processed at Ribaa Al Sarhan in Mafraq by the authorities and the UNHCR — 86 per cent newly arrived refugees and 14 per cent so-called “re-entries”, individuals previously registered in Jordan whose former records are now verified and updated.

The joint registration centre at Ribaa Al Sarhan opened on December 29, 2013.

Since registration began at the site, Syrian identification documents are no longer collected from new arrivals. On December 30, 2013, Jordan began conducting iris scans of Syrian refugees and issuing service cards with enhanced security features to those passing through the centre, according to the UNHCR report.

More than 9,000 children and adolescents visited the 86 child and family protection places operated by UNICEF and its partners in the Zaatari Refugee Camp and in eight governorates throughout the country, the report said.

In addition, some 3,000 students visited UNICEF-supported playgrounds and multipurpose courts daily, while 70 Community Action Committee members from Madaba and Amman received protection and community service training, with a focus on sexual gender-based violence and child protection issues.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,473 shelters, 488 tents and 985 trailers were distributed in the Zaatari camp in Mafraq during the reported period.

Syrian refugee enrolment in camp and host community schools stands at 108,046 students.

The UNHCR Regional Response Plan 6 requirements, including for Jordan and neighbouring operations, amount to $1,345,405,017 for 2014, the report indicated. However, the current level of funding received is 13 per cent ($173,783,333) of the requirements.

AMMAN — Jordan has proposed that the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopt the expected outcomes of the Geneva II conference, slated for January 22, and make it mandatory for all parties to implement any peace resolution that might be forged during the conference.

“It may be useful if the Security Council adopts the outputs of this international conference when achieved, and issues a resolution that makes it mandatory for all parties to implement these outputs,” said Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as he presided over the council’s regular session on the Middle East on Monday.

Jordan was almost unanimously voted as a non-permanent member of the UNSC by the UN General Assembly member states late last year and is now assuming the body’s rotating presidency.

In his remarks at the meeting, Judeh said the international conference, to be held in Montreux, Switzerland, “is an opportunity that should not be wasted to put this political solution on the right track through the cessation of hostilities”, to be followed by setting up an executive body where the entire Syrian spectra is represented.

“It should have full authority to act immediately to restore internal harmony in Syria, with complete jurisdiction over all the Syrian territory, in a manner that ensures the country’s territorial integrity and political independence. This executive body should have full control and sovereignty over weapon arsenals, pave the way for a pluralistic and democratic political system, and work to restore security and stability to encourage the voluntary return of internally displaced persons and refugees in neighbouring countries, foremost of which is Jordan,” said Judeh, who will lead Jordan’s delegation to the peace conference, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sabah Al Rafie.

“The delegation will present Jordan’s position which stresses the importance of arriving at a political solution for the crisis in Syria,” she said in reply to a question in this regard.

She confirmed Jordan’s expectations of the UNSC to support the resolutions of Geneva II if parties agree to a peaceful solution.

“Jordan hopes that the Geneva conference will result in an agreement and it supports the adoption of such an agreement by the Security Council,” the spokesperson pointed out.

She added: “The Kingdom’s representatives will also highlight the consequences of the absence of a political solution on regional and international security, particularly in terms of spurring radicalism and igniting religious and sectarian tensions.”

Judeh highlighted the burden Jordan is shouldering as the largest host of Syrian refugees.

“As you know, we are currently hosting about 1.3 million Syrian citizens, including nearly 600,000 who have taken refuge in Jordan since the outbreak of the crisis three years ago. We share with these brothers and sisters our already limited resources, with the cost of their hosting estimated at about $1.8 billion annually. We call upon the international community to help us meet the challenges we have risen to on behalf of the entire humanity,” Judeh said.

Mideast peace

Judeh reiterated in his speech that Jordan’s interests must be protected in any peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis, noting that the Kingdom is also the largest host of Palestinian refugees.

“We are the world’s largest host of Palestinian refugees, who are Jordanian citizens in addition to their status as refugees, and it lies at the heart of our responsibilities to protect and restore their legitimate rights recognised by the international terms of reference pertaining to the peace process. As a host country, we, in turn, have rights for the burdens we have shouldered,” he said.

In addition to the refugee issue, the foreign minister detailed how final-status issues affect Jordan’s interests, including borders, security, the fate of Jerusalem and water.

He renewed Amman’s support for the US efforts to push forward the peace process and commitment to these efforts.

“Our unyielding commitment to achieving peace is based on the firm conviction that ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict leads to an end to the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, which would, in turn, result in the elimination of many other sources of tension in the region.” 

AMMAN — The Airport International Group (AIG) launched the second phase of the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) expansion project on Monday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The second phase, expected to be completed by 2017 at a cost of more than $100 million, will increase the facility’s capacity to around 12 million passengers annually.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Transport Minister Lina Shbeeb attended the launch.

The airport’s new 103,000-square-metre terminal opened in March last year.

Located around 35km south of Amman, the facility can handle 9 million passengers annually under the first phase, compared with the old terminal’s 3.5-million-passenger capacity, according to AIG.

The number of gates will be developed gradually to meet demand towards the 12-million-passenger target.

In the terminal’s first phase, seven new contact stands and one temporary remote boarding lounge came into operation, serving seven million passengers.

Under a build, operate and transfer deal signed with AIG in 2007, the government will gain ownership of the airport after 25 years, and will receive 54.4 per cent of revenues for the first six years and 54.6 per cent of gross revenues for the remainder of the term.

Shbeeb said the increase in the number of passengers coming to Jordan is proof of the Kingdom’s ability to maintain its stability and security amidst the turbulence and unrest sweeping the entire region.

During a tour of the airport, Ensour stressed the need to resolve all problems facing passengers, mainly the delay in receiving their baggage.

Shbeeb said passengers have been receiving their luggage within an average of 31 minutes after their plane lands, adding that work is under way to reduce it to 25 minutes.

AIG Chairman Nazim Al Qudsi said the new terminal has been ranked among the best 50 airports in the world in terms of service quality and passenger satisfaction, Petra reported.

QAIA was also voted by its passengers as one of 20 best international airports serving 5-15 million passengers annually, he said.

In June 2013, ISO-certified QAIA became the second airport in the Middle East to earn the Airport Carbon Accreditation, according to the AIG website.

Also on Monday, Ensour attended the opening ceremony of the airport’s baggage check centre established by the government in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Petra reported.

The premier thanked Japan’s people and government for their assistance to Jordan’s vital projects.

At the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Junichi Kosuge handed over modern airport security equipment worth 1,437,000,000 yen (around JD10,500,000) to QAIA.

The project aims at improving airport security “by installing security equipment such as large-scale X-ray inspection systems, explosive detection tomography systems and handheld metal detectors for cargo and passengers”, a Japanese embassy statement said.

“The modern security devices will increase screening capacity and accuracy, requiring much less time and effort than before. As a result, they will promote security at the airport and the Kingdom as a whole,” the embassy said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and US congressional delegates on Monday discussed current affairs in the Middle East and issues of mutual interest.

During the meeting, King Abdullah expressed Jordan’s appreciation of the US efforts to achieve security and stability in the region, lauding US Secretary of State John Kerry’s endeavours in this regard, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meeting with the visiting delegation, which comprised members of both the Senate and House of Representatives, addressed progress in the US-brokered negotiations under way between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The King reasserted that the envisioned Palestinian state is at the core of Jordan’s higher interests. He reiterated Jordan’s stand demanding that such a state be independent and viable within the pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution, UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Regarding the repercussions of the Syrian crisis, the King stressed the importance of expediting efforts to arrive at a comprehensive political solution that safeguards the unity of Syria and the Syrian people, ends violence and helps the entire region preclude its catastrophic effects.

The Monarch highlighted the increasing burden on Jordan’s resources as a result of hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees, standing currently at more than 60,000, in addition to a larger number of Syrian residents who are not registered as refugees.

The King and the visiting delegation discussed means to advance bilateral cooperation in various fields. His Majesty expressed his appreciation of the assistance the US provides to Jordan, which contributes to its comprehensive development programmes and plans.

The delegates commended Jordan’s pro-peace policies led by King Abdullah and the Kingdom’s reform drive.

The meeting was attended by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director Imad Fakhoury and King’s Adviser Abdullah Wreikat

AMMAN — Updating regulations that govern post-approval changes and post-marketing drug safety is very important to protect customers and drug stores, according to the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).

JFDA Director General Hayel Obeidat on Monday said the Kingdom already has a new bylaw that was issued last year to regulate post-approval changes in drugs, but “we will modify some of its articles this year... to comply with the local market”.

The post-approval changes protocols and regulations cover specific modifications that a company would like to implement during the lifecycle of a pharmaceutical product.

“Our main objective at the JFDA is to realise health safety and monitor the safety of medicines in a way that also ensures protecting drug stores,” Obeidat told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of a workshop organised by APEX Medical Jordan on “Scale-up and post-approval changes and post-marketing pharmacovigilance”.

Pharmacovigilance is defined as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem, according to the World Health Organisation website.

Participants representing the sector from several countries of the region are reviewing regulations related to post-approval changes in medicines at the two-day workshop.

Addressing participants, Hanan Kakish, regional technical and innovation director at APEX, highlighted the importance of regulating post-approval changes to provide the most effective public health protection.

However, having too many restrictions on this policy could end up with low efficiency and a high cost of manufacturing, Kakish said.

According to Obeidat, companies submit details to prove they can manage the impact of the post-approval change for specific medicines.

AMMAN — The ICT Association of Jordan (int@j) on Monday said local universities need to train IT students on cyber security skills, as a Cisco Systems report indicated that hackers worldwide are cashing in on the shortage of skilled cyber security staff.

"Universities in Jordan do not even provide IT students with an option to study subjects related to cyber security," int@j CEO Abed Shamlawi told The Jordan Times.

"IT students in Jordan graduate with a general knowledge of IT and lack skills to combat cyber crime," Shamlawi said.

"There is a huge shortage at present in the number of professionals with the skills needed to maintain cyber security. This problem is not only limited to Jordan; the situation is the same in the Gulf and the rest of the world," Shamlawi added.

Currently, at least one million more skilled security employees are required globally to enable organisations and countries to fend off cyber criminals, according to the Cisco 2014 Annual Security Report, posted on the multinational corporation's website this week.

The report said overall vulnerabilities and security threats have reached their highest levels since 2000, and that a serious skills shortage is not making matters better.

The sophistication of the technology and tactics used by online criminals — and their non-stop attempts to breach networks and steal data — have "outpaced the ability of IT and security professionals to address these threats", Cisco said.

"Jordan is part of the world and we are also subject to cyber attacks. The risk of falling victim to cyber crimes is growing, as such attacks target not only individuals but also organisations," Shamlawi said.

"It will be easier for IT students to find jobs if they have skills in cyber security as this specialty is needed everywhere in the world," he added.

In its report, Cisco said "unprecedented growth" is expected this year for advanced malicious attacks.

About 99 per cent of all mobile malware in 2013 targeted devices running the Android operating system, according to Cisco.

Trojans — malicious programmes which perform actions that are not authorised by the user, such as data deletion — constituted 69 per cent of malware in 2013, while adware made up 20 per cent. Adware is software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material such as banners or pop-ups when a user is online and usually downloads suspicious programmes to gather information.

Cyber threats

- Threat alerts grew 14% in 2013 compared to 2012

- 99% of all mobile malware in 2013 targeted Android devices

- Android users also have the highest encounter rate (71%) with all forms of web-delivered malware

- Trojans constituted 69% of malware in 2013 and adware 20%

- Malicious exploits are gaining access to web hosting servers, name servers, and data centres

- Buffer errors are a leading threat

- Spam continues its downward trend, although the proportion of maliciously intended spam remains constant

Source: Cisco 2014 Annual Security Report