King stresses need to capitalise on tourism, agricultural opportunities in Tafileh

• His Majesty calls on private sector to play greater role in investing, supporting local community
• King bestows Silver Jubilee Medal on individuals, institutions in Tafileh
• On regional developments, King says current Israeli government is the only beneficiary of escalation 
• His Majesty reiterates Jordan's firm positions, pointing to ongoing efforts to end war in Gaza, Lebanon

 AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday stressed the importance of benefiting from opportunities in tourism and agriculture in Tafileh.

During a meeting with local community leaders and figures from Tafileh, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty expressed pride in Tafileh and its people.

His Majesty stressed the importance of improving services at tourist attractions, such as Dana Biosphere Reserve and Al Sela Castle, to attract more visitors, noting the role of the newly inaugurated Tafileh Museum in boosting tourism activity, according to a Royal Court statement. 

His Majesty also noted the role of the newly operational Government Service Centre in improving the services provided to the people of Tafileh.

The King spoke about investment opportunities in the governorate, calling on the private sector to play a greater role in investing in and supporting the local community, the statement said. 

His Majesty cited the wind energy projects in Tafileh as examples of successful investments in the governorate, stressing the need to invest in agricultural lands through plans involving the whole community, in order to boost agricultural productivity.

Turning to recent regional developments, the King emphasised that escalation is not in the interest of any country, and that the current Israeli government is the only beneficiary of escalation, according to the statement. 

His Majesty reiterated Jordan's firm positions, pointing to ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon.

For his part, Tafileh Governor Omar Zyoud expressed best wishes to the King on the Silver Jubilee, and stressed the keenness of Tafileh residents to move forward under the leadership of His Majesty.

Upon arrival at Dana Park in Tafileh, the King was welcomed by music performances.

Prior to the meeting, His Majesty, accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein, visited Tafileh Technical University and toured its workshop, languages lab, and the smart learning room.

The Crown Prince noted the importance of the languages lab and the smart learning room in serving students and the local community. 

The lab and room were opened following a visit by the Crown Prince to the university last year, to hone young people’s skills and offer training programmes to enable them to secure employment.

During the visit to Tafileh, the King bestowed the Silver Jubilee Medal on individuals and institutions in the governorate, in recognition of their contributions to serving Jordan, especially the local community.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, and Adviser to His Majesty for Tribal Affairs Kneiaan Bluwi attended the meeting.