Speech from the Throne reaffirms national modernisation agenda — experts

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah II’s Speech from the Throne, delivered during the second ordinary session of the 19th Parliament, underlines the Kingdom’s national modernisation agenda, according to experts. 

Mohammad Momani, a member of the Senate and a former Minister of State for Media Affairs, said that the King’s address “sets a strategic plan” for Jordan’s future.

It also “gives clear directions to the legislative and the executive branches of government on what needs to be done to tackle the different challenges facing Jordan”, he told The Jordan Times. 

Momani also described the King’s modernisation vision highlighted in the speech as “comprehensive”, consisting of a political, economic and administrative transformation.

The highlight of the King’s speech, he added, was when he “spoke on behalf of all Jordanians”, commending the efforts of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies.

The sound of applause echoed under the dome in agreement with the King’s words, he continued, noting that this “speaks to how much His Majesty values and appreciates the hard work, honesty and decency of his military officers”. 

Hosam Ayesh, a Jordanian economic analyst, said that the King’s speech has “reaffirmed fundamental Jordanian principles” regarding the Kingdom’s regional collaborations.

It also highlighted Jordan’s “unique relationship” with Palestine, stressing the importance of bolstering its economy to “improve the living standards of its people and support their steadfastness on their land”, he told The Jordan Times. 

The speech also reiterates that the recently launched economic and political modernisation agendas are “intergovernmental”, Ayesh added. 

“The King was firm in his directions, stressing that these established plans require joining efforts and working in a collaborative manner that follows the established plans,” he said. 

“Public hopes are pinned” on the visions for modernisation to increase investments, create jobs and enhance the active political and economic participation of youth and women “beyond quotas”, he continued. 

Moreover, Ayesh pointed out that it’s important to enhance cooperation between consecutive governments, ensuring that their work is “continuous and complementary” as to arrive at “tangible results, reducing unemployment and poverty rates in Jordan”. 

Economist Wajdi Makhamreh also noted the significance of the matters addressed in the Speech from the Throne. 

“It is now the role of the addressed government representatives to follow the King’s directions and ensure that the modernisation visions for a better Jordan are realised into action,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Wajdi noted that this requires experts to establish a comprehensive plan that follows a set timeline. 

It also demands laws and exemptions to facilitate and revive investments in Jordan, as supporting entrepreneurial projects is “the path towards enhancing the role of youth and harnessing their energy”, he said. 

Wajdi added that joining efforts between the public and private sectors, as well as building regional partnerships that achieve common benefits “as His Majesty noted in his speech”, is also essential for a comprehensive and positive transformation.