Kingdom gets ready for Eid Al Fitr holiday

AMMAN — Government institutions on Thursday said they have concluded preparations for the Eid Al Fitr holiday next week.

All ministries and public departments will be on holiday from Sunday, June 25, to Wednesday, June 28, in observance of Eid Al Fitr, according to a communiqué issued by Prime Minister Hani Mulki and published by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Eid Al Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is due to start on Sunday, June 25 or on Monday, June 26, depending on the sighting of the moon of the new lunar month.

The Public Security Department (PSD) said that all its security and traffic units will be increased in residential areas and marketplaces, to ensure residents and visitors’ safety and protect public and private properties, according to a PSD statement.

PSD has prepared security and traffic plans to facilitate traffic flow in the cities during the last days of Ramadan and during the holiday.

Field security units will be distributing greeting cards urging citizens not to take part in festive firing as well as traffic guidelines, and calling on the public to cooperate with the security forces, PSD said.

The department warned residents against leaving their houses unlocked, leaving valuable items exposed, and urged them to watch out for pick pocketing at marketplaces and busy areas.

The Civil Defence Department (CDD) announced it raised readiness levels at all of its 184 centres around the Kingdom, in preparation for the occasion, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

CDD prepared a special emergency plan after its preventive and self-protection unit conducted intensified field tours at public facilities such as marketplaces and play areas.

Tourism Minister Lina Annab announced the forming of an alternate committee in the ministry and its directorates during the holiday, Petra reported.

She said that these committees will monitor tourism programmes and follow up on the readiness of tourist and archaeological sites to receive visitors during the holiday.

She added that the team, which consists of the Jordan Tourism Board and employees of the Department of Antiquities, will be on duty during the holiday to deal with the increased tourist activity in the Kingdom.

For its part, Amman Greater Municipality (GAM) announced that King Abdullah II, King Hussein and other public parks were ready, as well as zoos.

GAM has conducted maintenance for all 142 parks in Amman and increased the number of staff working there, according to Petra.

Meanwhile, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) has finished its preparations to receive local and foreign visitors during Eid Al Fitr holiday, Petra said.

ASEZA Spokesperson Abdulmahdi Katamine told Petra that the hotel reservation percentage in Aqaba have reached 70 per cent.

The Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC) also announced taking several measures to ensure the availability of public transportation during the holiday, Petra said.

LTRC assigned a staff schedule for the holiday, according to Petra.