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AMMAN — Coinciding with His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Balqa Governorate on Tuesday, marking the 25th anniversary of His Majesty's assumption of constitutional powers, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi inspected several Royal initiative projects in the region.

In Mahis and Fuheis, Issawi assessed the progress of the Mahis Park rehabilitation project, part of the "Safe Parks" programme, implemented in partnership with the Zaha Cultural Centre and Mahis Municipality. 

With 65 per cent of the project complete, the park provides a secure and inclusive recreational space for residents, according to a Royal Court statement. 

Issawi also visited the ISO Educational and Technical City project, part of the Royal initiative for productive branches. 

Covering eight dunums, the facility focuses on artificial intelligence, software development, computing, and information technology. 

Once finished, it will provide 200 jobs and training opportunities for local youth, in line with His Majesty King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein’s vision to make Jordan a hub for technological innovation and economic growth.

Since the launch of the productive branches initiative in 2008, 30 similar projects have been established across the country, creating over 9,700 jobs.

Issawi, accompanied by Agriculture Ministry Secretary-General Mohammad Hiyari and King Abdullah II Fund for Development Director-General Mazen Tabbalat, visited the Al Ardah Olive Press. 

Established in 2008 as part of the Royal initiatives, the press has recently undergone modernisation and maintenance through a public-private partnership. 

It also supports local olive farmers and provides seasonal employment, boosting agricultural development in the region.

AMMAN — The Lower House Finance Committee convened on Tuesday to discuss the 2025 draft budget law, after it received from the Lower House.

Director General of the General Budget Department Majdi Shuraiqi and Deputy Director General Ayman Abu Alrub attended the committee's session, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Committee Chairman Nimer Sleihat highlighted plans to request detailed breakdowns of the budget, including allocations for capital expenditures in governorates and funding for Economic Modernisation Vision projects in 2024 and projections for 2025.

Shuraiqi presented an overview of the draft budget, covering the ministries and the government units allocations, economic growth rates, gross domestic product, deficit figures, and the primary objectives of the draft budget.

During the session, MPs Nasser Nawasrah, Dima Tahboub, Awni Zoubi, Mohammad Kataw, Randa Khzouz, Firas Qublan, Iman Abbasi, Mohammad Bani Mulhim, and Nour Abu Ghosh engaged in the discussions and posed various questions about the draft.

Shuraiqi addressed all inquiries raised by the MPs, providing clarifications on the draft budget's components and objectives. 

The committee's recommendations will be submitted to the Lower House for further deliberation.

The government on Sunday presented the 2025 draft budget bill and fiscal plans to the Lower House.

The draft budget estimates expenditures in 2025 at around JD11.042 billion, reflecting an increase of JD504 million, or 4.8 per cent, compared with the revised 2024 level.

The capital expenditures for 2025 are estimated at around JD1.469 billion, a rise of JD209 million or 16.5 per cent over the revised 2024 level.

The draft budget also projects the economy at a real GDP rate of 2.5 per cent in 2025, increasing to 3 per cent in 2026 and 2027. 

Nominal GDP is expected to grow by 4.9 per cent in 2025 and 5.6 per cent in 2026 and 2027.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Tuesday attended the opening of the new Faculty of Medicine building at Al Balqa Applied University. 

The inauguration coincided with the King’s visit to the region, marking the 25th anniversary of His Majesty's coronation, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The new, state-of-the-art facility, located next to Al Hussein Hospital (New Salt Hospital), is designed to provide students with hands-on clinical training while also improving healthcare services for the surrounding community.

Hassan toured the nine-storey, 17,000-square-metre building, which is equipped with advanced teaching resources and modern infrastructure. 

The facility features a physiology laboratory for practical training on human body functions and a research lab for faculty-led studies.

Founded in 2015, the Faculty of Medicine originally operated from a temporary facility on the university’s main campus. 

With Tuesday’s inauguration, the faculty officially relocated to its permanent building, enhancing the integration between medical education and clinical practice.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a set of reforms aimed at transforming education, improving infrastructure, and enhancing public services.

During a Cabinet session, Prime Minister Jafar Hassan outlined steps to modernise the education system in alignment with the Public Sector Modernisation Roadmap, paving the way for necessary legal and legislative actions to implement these changes.

A major reform includes the merger of the ministries of education and higher education and scientific research into a unified ministry that will also oversee human resource development, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

To guide national education policy, a new Council for Education and Human Resource Development will be established, supported by specialised committees focused on general education, higher education, inclusive education, and early childhood education.

Administrative restructuring would also see the reduction of education directorates to 16, based on geographical and population factors. 

Jordan aims to improve its position in the Global Knowledge Index, with the Cabinet approving a national plan led by the Ministry of Education to place the Kingdom in the top 50 per cent of participating countries, according to Petra. 

In response to overcrowding and to enhance learning environments, the Cabinet greenlighted the construction of two new schools in Irbid and Zarqa, funded by the Saudi Development Fund at a cost of JD1.6 million each, prioritising local labour.

Two German-funded initiatives were also approved to digitise education and training, modernise vocational training, digitise school curricula, and increase the use of technology in classrooms to better align educational outcomes with labour market needs.

The Cabinet also provided relief to scholarship students and their guarantors by waiving penalties for failing to apply for public sector jobs through the Civil Service Bureau.

The Cabinet also approved a German-funded wastewater management project aimed at improving sanitation, reducing environmental impact, and expanding the use of treated wastewater for irrigation. 

The Council of Ministers also approved a project funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to rehabilitate critical roads and bridges linking Amman with other cities, with an emphasis on improving safety and repairing weather-damaged infrastructure.

New regulations were also passed for companies supplying Jordanian workers, ensuring compliance with labour laws and requiring quotas for workers with disabilities.

The Council of Ministers also approved a Memorandum of Understanding with GAVI to boost Jordan's immunisation programme and introduce new vaccines, such as the pneumococcal vaccine, as part of the country's ongoing public health efforts.

AMMAN — Nawaf Tal on Tuesday presented his credentials to Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as the non-resident Ambassador of Jordan to Portugal, in a ceremony held at the presidential palace.

Tal conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Abdullah to President de Sousa, expressing His Majesty’s wishes for continued progress and prosperity for the Portuguese people, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. President de Sousa expressed his appreciation for His Majesty’s leadership, emphasising the Portuguese government's commitment to boosting and developing bilateral relations with the Kingdom.

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Ahmed Huneiti on Monday met with Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Michael E. Kurilla to discuss regional security and bilateral cooperation. The meeting focused on strengthening joint efforts and coordination between the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and the US, with a focus on enhancing regional stability and security, according to the Jordan News Agency Petra.  Huneiti highlighted the strategic partnership between the two countries, stressing the significance of unified international efforts to uphold peace and stability in the region. Kurilla commended the JAF for their pivotal role in addressing regional challenges, their commitment to modernisation, and their humanitarian contributions.  He also reiterated the US' unwavering support in empowering the JAF to effectively fulfil its defensive responsibilities.

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) has launched its Safeguarding and Reporting Mechanism Policy in collaboration with USAID-funded Tawazon: Promoting the Voice and Leadership of Women Activity. 

SSC emphasised that this policy aims to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, free from all forms of violence, according to a statement for The Jordan Times on Tuesday. 

SSC Director General Muhammad Tarawneh said that the policy seeks to uphold the dignity of employees, protect them from any inappropriate behaviour that could impact their mental and physical well-being, and support their performance at work.

Tarawneh added that this policy was developed in accordance with the Civil Service Human Resources Strategy 2023-2027, particularly its third strategic goal, which seeks to create a positive and motivating work environment that enhances the efficiency and productivity of civil servants. 

The strategy also aligns with the Royal modernisation vision and complies with international agreements advocating for human rights, including the right to live and work in a safe environment, also complementing the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct in Public Service, the director general added. 

He said that SSC aims to establish preventive measures to protect employees from behavioural violations and deter such actions. 

Tarawneh noted that the policy also provides mechanisms for addressing inappropriate behaviour at work, emphasising the need for all employees to adhere to institutional values and professional ethics, while treating colleagues, clients, and visitors with respect and professionalism, to foster a work environment that values diversity and cultural differences. 

The policy aims to define the rights, obligations, procedures, roles, and responsibilities designed to safeguard employees from engaging in or becoming victims of behavioural violations, thereby avoiding the penalties stipulated in relevant laws and regulations, he added. 

Tarawneh stressed that the policy underscores the importance of establishing a designated entity within its organisational structure, equipped with specialised and trained staff to ensure the effective and sustainable implementation of the policy. 

It also "guarantees" the necessity of integrating the reporting mechanism into the institution's electronic systems to ensure confidentiality, transparency, and ease of access to protection, thereby enhancing administrative sustainability and fostering a culture of accountability and respect for employee rights in the workplace, he said.

Director of Democracy and Governance Office at USAID Lane Mears said that this initiative "aligns seamlessly" with Jordan’s Economic Modernisation Vision and Royal directives to strengthen governance, equality and social cohesion.

AMMAN — As the world observes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Director of the Prime Ministry’s Human Rights Department Khalil Abdallat has praised the document as a pivotal achievement in the ongoing global pursuit of dignity and equality for all. 

"The declaration marks a defining moment in humanity’s journey towards upholding core principles of justice, freedom, and equality," Abdallat said in a statement marking the Human Rights Day annually celebrated on December 10.

He underscored the declaration's lasting significance in safeguarding fundamental freedoms and rights for every individual, regardless of gender, race, religion, and other distinction.

Abdallat reflected on this year's theme, "Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now," emphasising that human rights should not be viewed merely as legal obligations but as "catalysts of transformation" that help societies move towards stability, development and peace.

Under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, Jordan has positioned as a dedicated advocate for human rights, promoting these values both locally and internationally, he added.

Abdallat stressed His Majesty's steadfast support for Palestinian rights, highlighting that lasting peace in the region depends on ending the occupation and ensuring Palestinians' right to an independent state on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"This consistent position reflects Jordan's deep commitment to justice and human dignity," the director said.

Abdallat said that the Kingdom has distinguished itself as a pillar of stability in the region, actively working to address conflicts through dialogue and collaboration. 

"Ending conflicts is not simply a moral imperative, but also a fundamental requirement for sustainable economic and social development that safeguards future generations," Abdallat said.

Jordan's "exemplary role" in providing sanctuary and protecting refugee rights stems from its "deeply rooted" national and humanitarian values, he pointed out.

The director underscored that addressing global challenges, whether conflicts, economic crises, or climate issues, requires enhanced international cooperation and concerted efforts to forge more equitable societies.

"The empowerment of individuals to exercise their fundamental rights with freedom and dignity illuminates the path towards a more prosperous and stable future," Abdallat added.