King visits Wadi Rum visitor centre

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah visited the Wadi Rum visitor centre on Monday, as part of his tour of the southern region, where he was briefed on Wadi Rum’s master plan and met with members of the local community who work in tourism.

During the visit, King Abdullah was briefed by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Chief Commissioner Nayef Bakhit on the plans and programmes being implemented to capitalise on the competitive tourism advantages in the area, develop the film industry and enhance ecotourism, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty stressed the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders to implement the Wadi Rum master plan and to develop filmmaking, noting the need to enhance tourism, which will require facilitating investment procedures and developing services.

The King also visited a number of souvenir shops in the visitor centre, offering merchandise handcrafted by the area's residents, and toured the centre’s facilities.

His Majesty met with local community members who work in tourism and listened to their suggestions on developing tourism in Wadi Rum, as well as the challenges they face and means to mitigate them.

The number of Wadi Rum visitors stood at 505,000 last year, marking an increase from 331,000 in 2018.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kemal Al Nasser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, and Tourism Minister Majd Shweikeh accompanied the King on the visit.

Also on Monday, His Majesty visited Sanam tourist resort in Wadi Rum, affiliated with the Jordanian Heritage Revival Company (JHRC), a King Abdullah II Fund for Development project, where he met a number of JHRC employees from the local community, as well as a group of youth from around the Kingdom who were taking part in a workshop at the resort.

Speaking to staff from the JHRC, King Abdullah said their enthusiasm and capabilities will help develop tourism, stressing that the local community in Wadi Rum has the potential to contribute to improving the area, according to a separate Royal Court statement.

 During the meeting with the young Jordanians, His Majesty urged them to utilise the opportunities available in Wadi Rum, underscoring the significance of attracting investments and providing jobs, in light of the limited capacity of the public sector to create jobs.

The King noted the important role of youth in transforming the concept of public-private partnership, paving the way to more investments.

 His Majesty also called for capitalising on the expertise of young Jordanians who have studied and worked abroad.

 Moreover, the King was briefed during the visit on the services provided by Sanam tourist resort and toured Al Qatraneh Castle replica, which are part of an ongoing project to offer unconventional tourism experiences in Wadi Rum and activities that reflect Jordan’s history.

 Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kamal Al Nasser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, Tourism Minister Majd Shweikeh, and JHRC Chairperson Shehadeh Abu Hdeib accompanied His Majesty on the visit.