PM chairs meeting celebrating Irbid as 2022 Arab capital of culture

AMMAN — Prime Minister and Minister of Defence BisherAl Khasawneh on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the higher national committee for celebrating Irbid as the Arab capital of culture for 2022.

Khasawneh, who is also the chairman of the committee, said that making this national and Arab event successful is the responsibility of everyone, the government, institutions, private sector and local actors.

The government is ready to offer the needed support to speed up execution, including allocating financial sources to prepare the necessary infrastructure for holding cultural events, the premier said, highlighting the important role of the private sector in making the event successful.

Khasawneh also drew attention to the role of the national media in promoting the event, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also decided to hold the next meeting of the committee in Irbid, the northern region, a month later to check on the progress of work, noting that all ministries and institutions will be directed to cooperate with the higher committee and its executive office.

This is the second meeting of the committee, as the first was held in March of 2020, he said, noting that delay is due to the government-imposed lockdowns and stressing the need for accelerating action and accomplishment.

Irbid was originally assigned the Arab capital of culture of 2021, but due to the impacts of the pandemic, the Arab League's Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation proposed to announce Irbid as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2022, said the committee's deputy chairman, Abdul Raouf Al Rawabdeh.