Norwegian royals, delegation visit rose-red city of Petra

AMMAN — King Harald V of Norway on Wednesday said that the Norwegian royals’ state visit to Jordan has been “successful and has achieved more results than expected”. 

During a visit to Petra with Queen Sonja, the Norwegian monarch highlighted the “deep-rooted and distinguished” ties between the two kingdoms, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The king praised the rose-red city and its historical and touristic heritage, voicing keenness to enhance cooperation in the tourism field and exchange tourist delegations between Jordan and Norway. 

Queen Sonja called on the Norwegian embassy in Amman to follow up on the outcomes of the visit with Jordanian stakeholders.

 During the visit, King Harald, Queen Sonja and the accompanying delegates toured the ancient city of Petra and its main landmarks, including the Siq, the treasury, the court and the Byzantine church.

The king also listened to a briefing by Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority Chief Commissioner Suleiman Farajat on the historical, economic and touristic importance of Petra and the role of the Nabataeans in carving and fortifying the city. 

Farajat noted that Petra was the capital of the Nabataean civilisation and a hub for commercial convoys laden with goods heading to the Levant, the Arab Peninsula, Yemen, Egypt, India and China. 

Meanwhile, Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Iselin Nybo expressed her admiration for Petra, describing the city as an “important international tourist attraction”.