King visits Umm Al Jimal archaeological site

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, visited the archaeological site at Umm Al Jimal in the Northern Badia region on Wednesday.

During a tour of the visitor centre and the museum at the site, King Abdullah stressed the importance of further developing it to promote it as a potential World Heritage Site, attract more visitors, and support the local community, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty was briefed by Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on the site’s history and the restoration work carried out by the Department of Antiquities in cooperation with Calvin University to equip the site to receive visitors.

The King was also briefed on the “Hand by Hand Heritage Umm Al Jimal” initiative, which was established in 2018 to promote the site as a tourist destination.

The founders of the initiative spoke about the services and experiences offered, including tours of the archaeological site and surrounding areas, offering recommendations and community-based accommodation for tourists, and providing training and awareness-raising to the local community.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan accompanied the King on the visit.