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AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, the King’s adviser and chairman of the National Policies Council, on Thursday met with a delegation from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and discussed the strategic ties between Jordan and the US, as well as the latest regional developments.

The meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, in the presence of Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, also focused on Jordan’s support to efforts aimed at reaching political solutions to regional crises, in addition to international efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic strategy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They discussed efforts exerted to push forward the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and the pressure placed by the Syrian refugee crisis on Jordan’s health, education and infrastructure sectors.

Members of the delegation praised Jordan›s pivotal role in the region, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, working to achieve security and stability regionally and globally.

They also commended the Kingdom’s humanitarian role towards Syrian refugees.

Also on Thursday, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with members of the delegation, headed by Council President Ivo H. Daalder, and went over the latest regional developments and efforts exerted to solve the regional crises.

They reviewed the Kingdom’s role in contributing to achieving regional security, stability and peace, Petra added.

Safadi and the delegates discussed Jordanian-US ties and their development in various fields, as well as the increasing cooperation between Amman and Washington.  

The minister acquainted the delegates with the Kingdom’s stances over regional developments and its role in finding political solutions to current crises, fighting terrorism and instilling the values of peace and respect for others.

AMMAN — Istisqaa prayer will be held across the Kingdom on Friday, following calls made by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs urging Jordanians to participate in the prayer. 

A statement posted on the ministry’s website said that Awqaf Minister Wael Arabiyat notified heads of Awqaf directorates in Jordan to organise the Istisqaa prayer at the mosques that host Friday prayers. 

The special Muslim prayer for rain is a ritual practised since the time of Prophet Mohammad and is held due to lack of rain. 

However, Arabiaweather’s Chief Meteorologist Omar Al Dajani said there is no reason for people to feel panicked over the lack of rain. 

“Rainfall this season did come late but this is not the first time the Kingdom suffers from such a condition. If we look back to history, we can notice that Jordan received rain at a late time of year in 2010 and in 1999,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

He noted that the rain season starts in October and wraps up in April. 

“In the 2013-2014 winter season, the Alexa snowstorm hit the Kingdom, bringing good amounts of rainfall. It then did not rain for the following two months and started raining again in March. This had a negative impact on the agricultural field,” he added.

In the meantime, Dajani said that temperatures are forecast to decrease as of Sunday, with a low pressure expected to prevail in the mid of next week. The Jordanian meteorologist noted that it might bring rain.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani on Thursday said that His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech from the Throne at the opening of the second ordinary session of Parliament represents a “strategic” national guidance for the legislative and executive authorities. 

In his weekly interview on the Jordan Television’s morning show “News and Dialogue”, Momani said that the speech reflected the Royal vision on work priorities in the upcoming stage and included important indications that should be considered in the government›s work.

Momani, who is also the government spokesman, said that it directed the three branches of government to continue cooperating to accomplish their duties in all fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He added that the speech included positive encouragements and a praise to what had been achieved in the extraordinary session, during which Parliament endorsed judicial reform laws that were proposed by the Royal Committee for the Development of Judiciary.

The minister noted that the speech referred to the reports and documents including governmental policies, especially the “accomplishment report”, which outlines the reform process in various sectors, which the government had referred to the King.  

Momani stressed that the next stage requires going forward in applying the self-reliance principle so as to reach deficit-free budgets, with revenues equalling expenditures, so as to protect the national economy. 

He emphasised that the government has adopted clear policies towards the public, and acquainted them with the real economic situation through providing logical reasons for economic reform decisions that were a result of decreasing foreign aid. 

In light of its large administrative personnel and hike in unemployment rates among young people, the minister said that the government has allocated funds to implement programmes, under the supervision of the Labour Ministry, to substitute guest workers with Jordanians.

He added that the private sector provides jobs for the youth, where they can enjoy job stability and receive social security insurance, just like in the public sector.

Finally, Momani referred to the draft law of the general budget and budget of the independent government units that was discussed during Wednesday›s Cabinet session, adding that it is now in its final stages and is scheduled to be endorsed early next week before being sent to Parliament.   

AMMAN — BeyondCapital, a US-funded project, was launched on Wednesday, with the aim of creating a better ecosystem for entrepreneurship in Jordan, and empowering startups and helping them expand.

“Entrepreneurs are the companies that create new job opportunities and witness economic growth,” said Tamer Al Salah, managing director of BeyondCapital, at an event to launch the initiative.

 “There is a necessity to create a more comfortable environment for entrepreneurship to grow in Jordan,” he added.

Salah highlighted the support offered by BeyondCapital to startups in terms of “capital, expertise and access to networks”. 

The startups benefiting from the initiative will receive a two-year support programme, which will help them grow and find a place in the Jordanian market. 

Funded by the USAID, the initiative was created through a partnership between the NGO Endeavour Jordan, which is specialised in entrepreneurship and the company called Silicon Badia, which focuses on investments.

“We have to accept that our market is small,” said Walid Tahabsem, Chairman of Endeavor Jordan, adding “it is also acceptable to look beyond the national borders because our country is small. But I strongly encourage you all to be entrepreneurs in Jordan because our country has to be the first”. 

Jim Barnhart, the acting deputy chief of mission for the US embassy, noted that the US government proposed the idea for BeyondCapital in 2014.

Barnhart highlighted Jordan›s great advantage of “human capital” in the area of startups. “A secure sustainable economy is what the country really needs and that’s what this project wants to improve,” he stated.

The US representative stressed the innovative aspects of BeyondCapital, saying: “The focus in these kinds of projects is always on the entrepreneurs, but we wanted to also take in consideration the role of investors.” 

BeyondCapital is based on a three-pillar model with support to startups, to existing finance entrepreneurs, and to angel investors, who are the funds’ providers to startups. 

The startups targeted by the initiative are companies which already have a functional environment, but are characterised by a scale-up potential and a focus on a comprehensive team. BeyondCapital aims to provide them with an access to mentors, market capital, and entrepreneurship experts.

The idea will be registered next week, and those who are interested could start applying in January, said the general of the Jordan Loan Guarantee Corporation (JLGC), Mohammad Al Jaafari.

The presentation of BeyondCapital was followed by a discussion titled “Bridging the Gap in the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem” with representatives from partners and experts in the investing, legislative and entrepreneurs fields. 

Moderated by the CEO of Endeavour Jordan, Reem Groussous, the discussion covered the importance of an attractive legal environment in attracting investments. 

“We are targeting those people who saw an opportunity in the market, but have problems to maintain themselves,” stated the founder and managing partner of Silicon Badia, Emile Cubeisy. 

More than 100 participants attended the presentation of Beyond Capital, which was organised as part of the 10th anniversary of the Entrepreneurship Week.

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) in its last session approved the establishment of a joint-stock company aimed at investing in the sectors of transportation, real estate, development, services and tourism with an initial allocation of JD100,000, according to an official.

The decision will allow the GAM to launch projects and initiatives owned by the municipality in cooperation with the private sector at the local and international levels, Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh said in a statement e-mailed to the Jordan Times on Thursday. 

The first project of the joint-stock branch will be a public transportation company aimed at establishing a new public transportation service in Amman, Shawarbeh said, noting that the service will be operated by the private sector and committed to specific routes and frequencies. 

The details of the project are yet to be announced, but “the new public transportation company will not be a substitute for the current integrated transportation company”, the mayor asserted. 

Last month, Shawarbeh announced that the GAM is planning to float a tender for the development of the public transportation system in the city, with the aim of introducing 100 new buses by next year.
The mayor explained that the buses will be owned by the GAM, and operated by a private company "in order to ensure the highest standards". 

The decision came in contrast with the current model, in which buses are both owned and operated by private companies and regulated by the public sector. 

In correlation with the new announcement, the mayor stated that the new buses will have to commit to specific routes and frequencies, and several payment systems such as prepaid cards and mobile pay will be implemented. 

AMMAN — Jordan on Thursday joined the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The membership request presented by Jordan gained the support of all representatives of member countries, who took part in a partnership meeting in Italy, which reflects the international community’s confidence in Jordan and its role against the spread of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, according to Petra.

The G7 and Russia have launched the partnership during a summit in Canada in 2002 to boost cooperation, secure financing for its programmes and prepare plans that target preventing the spread of these weapons, fighting terrorism, disarmament and nuclear safety. 

AMMAN — The Iranian embassy in Amman on Thursday announced that it will open a condolence book on Sunday for the victims of the recent earthquake that hit Iran’s Kermanshah province, leaving 530 people dead and 8,000 injured.

The condolence book will be available at the ambassador’s house between 1pm and 5pm. The residence is located on Fawzi Mulki Street, building number 10, according to an embassy statement. 

AMMAN — Head of the Jordanian-German Parliamentary Friendship Society Issa Khashaneh on Thursday met with a Bundestag delegation, headed by Johannes Kahrs. Khashaneh described bilateral ties as “historic”, and called for fostering them in various domains, especially in the parliamentary field, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also commended Germany’s supportive stances towards the Kingdom, including in its efforts to solve the Syrian refugee crisis. For his part, Kahrs said that his country’s government will pay more attention to Jordan’s need for further economic aid to cope with the refugee crisis.

AMMAN — Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh on Thursday checked on the first construction zone on the Desert Highway, which extends over seven kilometres, a ministry statement said. Halaseh said that six similar zones will be announced over the next two weeks.

After touring the area where he met with local residents, the minister urged workers and contractors to follow all procedures of traffic safety in the area and called on drivers to abide by warning signs, speed limits and traffic detours.

AMMAN — Thirteen families in the neighbourhoods of Jeeza and Muwaqqar in Amman on Thursday received new houses as part of a Royal initiative to support underprivileged families.

The initiative, which was launched in 2005, has provided housing to 3,000 families across the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi, head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, said that, following the handing over of these 13 houses, the total number of houses built in Jeeza and Muwaqqar under the initiative reached 40.

Other Royal initiatives in the area include the establishment of a training institute, two youth centres and the expansion of a health centre, according to Issawi.

Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf said that Royal initiatives contribute to enhancing social protection through providing underprivileged families with houses and delivering financial assistance.