Royal initiatives: Development, tourist projects inaugurated in Aqaba, Maan

AMMAN — In implementation of Royal directives, Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi on Thursday inaugurated Royal initiative projects in Aqaba and Maan, which His Majesty King Abdullah ordered their implementation during his field visits and meetings with dignitaries of these two governorates.

Issawi, who is also the head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, checked on several projects being implemented under Royal initiatives in these two governorates, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The initiatives included projects in the development, tourist and service sectors, in implementation of Royal directives to develop these vital sectors, where these ventures are executed through the Royal Initiatives Administration at the Royal Hashemite Court in coordination with relevant government and civil community institutions.

While in Aqaba, Issawi opened the Aqaba northern park and toured the 1,500-metre facility, which includes several tracks for bicycles, playground materials and fixtures, car parkings, park benches and health facilities. 

He also checked on the project to rehabilitate Sharif Hussein Bin Ali's residence, which is being implemented under Royal directives to become a museum narrating the biography of Sharif Hussein and the story of the Great Arab Revolt. The project is established on an area of 845 square metres.

The Sharif Hussein's residence was constructed in Aqaba in 1917 on the Hijazi pattern next to the historical Aqaba castle that currently hosts the Aqaba Antiquities Museum and includes Kofi inscriptions of Al Kursi verse, golden dinars from the Fatimid era and other pottery pieces. 

The Royal Court chief also visited the Aqaba Diving Association, where he was briefed on its goals.

Issawi handed over a residence for an underprivileged family in Aqaba's Beir Mathkor area. 

In Maan, Issawi checked on the rehabilitation project of the King Abdullah I castle, where the scheme, implemented over 27 dunums, has reached its final stages. The project was executed upon directives of His Majesty with the aim of developing the castle into a national museum. 

The court chief told Petra that these initiatives launched by King Abdullah aim to improve the living, social and economic conditions of citizens, as part of a comprehensive approach that seeks to provide opportunities for targeted local communities to realise a “qualitative leap” in their development process.