Prime minister says holding Cabinet sessions in governorates reflect King's directives to engage directly with citizens

AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Wednesday said that holding Cabinet sessions in governorates is part of an institutional approach initiated by the government.

The prime minister said that these sessions reflect His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to engage with citizens directly, identify priority projects and programmes and ensure the achievement of development goals, as well as the expansion of employment and investment opportunities, , the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

While chairing a Cabinet session in Maan, attended by representatives of elected councils and civil organisations, Hassan stressed the southern governorate's significance in the development process, especially for Petra, Shoubak and the Badia and other regions.  

He pointed to several major national projects planned for the coming phase, which will pass through Maan, including the National Water Carrier Project and the railway connecting Aqaba Port with the phosphate mines in Shidiya and further to Ghor Safi and potash factories. 

The government is actively working to link this vital project to the Maan Dry Port and revive it after years of suspension, placing it among its top priorities, he said. 

The prime minister highlighted these schemes' role in stimulating sectors like transport in Maan.

He also stressed the promising potential of Maan Development Area, which hosts pioneering projects in various fields, referring to the government’s efforts to enhance its competitiveness and attract more investments.  

Hassan announced that the government would complete the natural gas supply project for the Rawdah Industrial Estate within two years, reducing production costs and enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian industries. 

This initiative is expected to double the number of factories in the area.  

Regarding current and upcoming projects in Maan related to health, education and infrastructure, Hassan referred to the construction of a specialised diabetes and endocrinology centre to be completed over the next three years, along with the establishment and maintenance of schools, health centres, roads and water networks. 

He also stressed that the Maan Military Hospital, affiliated with the Royal Medical Services, is scheduled to start receiving patients in 2026.  

The prime minister noted that the purpose of the Cabinet session in Maan is to present projects planned for the next three years, work on their completion and develop new initiatives based on the governorate’s priorities and needs, within the government’s capabilities.  

He also inaugurated the Maan Comprehensive Government Services Centre, describing it as a model for "high-quality" service delivery, expressing the government’s goal to raise the standards of all public service facilities.  

The centre in Maan is the seventh of its kind in the country. 

Similar centres have already been established in Irbid, Tafileh, Madaba, Muqabalein, Queen Alia International Airport and Aqaba, where the centre in the coastal city was inaugurated on a trial basis.

The government seeks to establish 10 additional centres in 2025, bringing the total number of centres to 15 by the end of the year, ensuring coverage across all governorates.

The Maan centre provides 125 government services to citizens, facilitated by 24 government institutions, operating six days a week from 9:00am to midnight.

The centre accommodates an average of 150 to 200 visitors daily and has processed over 7,000 transactions since its trial launch in late November.