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AMMAN — A 37-year-old Egyptian guest worker fell off the fourth floor of an under-construction building in Abdoun on Thursday, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement.

CDD cadres administered first aid and took him to Prince Hamzah Public Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — The Awqaf Ministry on Thursday announced that the initial registration period for Hajj (the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca) is extended until January 28, 10am, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Awqaf Minister Hayel Dawood told Petra that 19,000 people applied for Hajj until Wednesday night. Those wishing to apply can access https://hajj.gov.jo.

AMMAN — A delegation representing local, regional and international human rights commissions and civil society organisations visited Jweideh Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre on Thursday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The delegation, which included more than 95 people, checked on the condition of inmates. Basil Tarawneh, the government’s coordinator on human rights, said such regular visits confirm the government’s transparency in showing local, regional and international civil society institutions the measures taken at the correctional centres around the Kingdom.

AMMAN — The US embassy on Thursday said a weather warning message circulated on social media has been “falsely attributed” to it.

“This message has not been distributed by the US embassy; any security or safety messages are distributed through our website, official social media platforms, or press releases,” the embassy said in a statement. “Any announcements regarding changes to operating hours or services for the embassy due to inclement weather will be made through those means,” it added.

AMMAN — Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on Thursday met with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Pharaon on the sidelines of the 36th International Tourism Trade Fair, currently under way in Madrid.

The two ministers discussed opportunities for further cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Fayez also met with representatives of Spanish media outlets and spoke about tourist attractions in the Kingdom. Around 9,500 travel and tour companies are participating in the Madrid fair, which concludes next Sunday, from 165 countries, according to Petra.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and discussed the UN's role in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis, of which Jordan has been shouldering a massive burden due to hosting 1.3 million Syrians.

The King thanked UN organisations for their support and assistance to alleviate the burden on Jordan, as it works to provide humanitarian and relief services to Syrian refugees, a Royal Court statement said.

Discussions at the meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, also covered international counterterrorism efforts and the latest developments in Syria and Iraq.

Lykketoft reaffirmed the UN's support for the Kingdom to enable it to deal with the repercussions of regional crises, especially the Syrian refugee burden, and to achieve sustainable development.

The official also commended Jordan’s approach to the crises and challenges in the Middle East. Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan, and Lykketoft’s accompanying delegation also attended the meeting, the statement said.

Also on Wednesday, Lykketoft visited the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Mafraq, some 90km northeast of Amman, and praised Jordan for addressing refugees’ needs, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The official said he has visited several refugee camps around the world, but he had not seen services with the same high standards followed by Jordan, according to Petra.

AMMAN — The US Congress has approved extending “an unprecedented” $1.275 billion in assistance to Jordan in its 2016 budget bill, with ongoing efforts to increase this amount to a possible $1.6 billion, US ambassador Alice G. Wells said on Wednesday. 

“Congress in December passed the budget for 2016 and it contains an unprecedented $1.275 billion for Jordan, which is an increase in economic assistance as well as security assistance and it includes an additional $100 million for water supply,” the ambassador told journalists during a briefing at her residence in Amman.

The ambassador highlighted the closely-knit ties between the two countries and the bipartisan support that this “unique” relationship receives in Congress from Republicans and Democrats.

“His Majesty's visit [earlier this month] I think really demonstrates the strength and vitality of our bilateral relationship and underscores again that Jordan is one of our strongest allies in the region,” Wells said.

“You see that we have hundreds of senior US visitors who come to Jordan every year but certainly the case is when the King goes to Washington, our senior executive branch members from the administration and members of Congress are very anxious to seek his counsel on events in the region and global warming,” the envoy told the media representatives. 

In terms of security assistance, she said, last year was a “landmark” that witnessed further security assistance to support the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army.

US economic aid to Jordan will continue, Wells said, to advance programmes that promote growth, generate jobs, provide young people with real-life work experiences and skills to enter the workforce, promote tourism, help develop the water and energy sectors and empower youth and women.

“The statistic that strikes me is that last year Jordanian exports to the United States increased by 9 per cent despite everything else that has happened and despite the overall decline in exports. That really is, again, a testimony to the Free Trade Agreement and the economic relationship built over the last 15 years,” the diplomat added.

Anti-terror drive

With respect to regional issues, Wells pointed out the visit by US Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of the US Central Command, and his meeting with the King and army chief Gen. Mashal Al Zaben (see separate story).

“Today I hosted Gen. Austin who is here to consult with Gen. Zaben as well as had the opportunity to meet with His Majesty.” 

Austin’s message was “that we are making significant and tangible progress in defeating ISIS — defeating Daesh. Thanks to a holistic campaign, one that is pushing Daesh out of Syria and Iraq, Daesh has lost 40 per cent of the territory it used to control,” the ambassador noted, adding that in addition to territory, the terrorist group has also lost supply routes to Tikrit, Baiji, Sinjar and “most importantly”, Ramadi.

The US-led coalition targets Daesh’s “financial infrastructure, even their banks, literally destroying their wealth, as well as targeting oil convoys and other elements of their oil infrastructure”, Wells explained, noting that the coalition airstrikes have intensified across the board but in Syria they increased tenfold last year.  

Outlining signs of the group’s breakdown, Wells cited its diminishing ability to administer its territory, defections, increased in-fighting and Daesh’s using its own brutality against its members. 

“At the same time, the coalition is growing stronger, so the countries that supply troops have increased from 21 to 26 and countries like France and the UK have deployed additional assets in the battle.”

On Jordan’s contribution to the war, she said: “I can’t overemphasise the importance of Jordan’s role in the coalition as the most active coalition partner and leader, whose pilots have flown hundreds of sorties in both Syria and Iraq.”

Asked to comment on accusations that the US is not serious about defeating Daesh, the envoy said: “America is very serious about defeating Daesh and I think you see that in the scope of the coalition that we have helped to form along with our Arab partners.” 

“From the very beginning I think we have been very sober in our assessment of how long this will take. The president described the war as at least three years to degrade and destroy Daesh. As we like to say, Daesh is not 10 feet tall; we will destroy them, but they are a skilled enemy,” she said, stressing that the coalition tries to avoid civilian casualties, especially in Syria. 

“In Iraq it has been more straightforward; there is the Peshmerga, there are the Iraq security forces, there are the Sunni tribes whose members are being trained and armed. Syria has always been more complicated”.

Russian involvement

Wells said Russia needs to be part of the solution in Syria.

“We need Russia to be a constructive member of the Geneva process and just today Secretary [of State John] Kerry and [Russian] Foreign Minister Lavrov are meeting to discuss the way ahead to the session that will be hosted by the UN perhaps on the 25th, perhaps later.” 

However, the US is “very concerned why Russia’s targeting the moderate opposition. If Russia had entered the conflict in Syria and focused its attention against Daesh and in restraining Bashar Assad from using air bombs and targeting Syrian civilians, all of us would have applauded”. 

Islamophobia 

In an apparent reference to Republican contender for the presidential nomination Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim remarks,  the diplomat reiterated that the US “rejects hateful Islamophobic language”.

“President Obama has said Islam is actually woven into the fabric of American society. And we believe that it is the responsibility of every American to reject discrimination and to rise above cynicism and even the fear that has emerged in the wave of the terrorist attacks that we have seen worldwide.” 

AMMAN — Jordan’s ongoing efforts to help the endless flow of Syrian refugees once more come under the limelight as the focus shifts to around 16,000 of haven seekers stranded in the no man’s zone with Syria.

The “desperate” situation of these refugees facing severe conditions a few hundred metres north of the border exposes the international community’s helplessness as well as the immense burdens shouldered by Jordan, whose resources have been stretched too thin by the refugee crisis, according to analysts.

A UN relief worker said the “miserable” situation of these refugees, who arrived from areas under the control of Daesh terror group, requires speedy action by the world community.

The UN worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that these refugees now live in dire conditions in the open in temperatures dropping to below zero at night, “which have claimed the lives of some”, especially the vulnerable. 

“The situation could get even worse with colder freezing temperatures forecast for next week.”

Expressing understanding of Jordan’s inability to allow in all refugees arriving from its much larger, war-torn northern neighbour, the worker, who was helping distribute aid to the stranded refugees, said the international community should shoulder its responsibility in helping them.

Jordan, which is already delivering relief aid to these refugees, has offered to help any third-party countries willing to offer shelter to them.

On Monday, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that there are around 16,000 Syrians in camps situated a few hundred metres from the Jordanian side in the “no man’s land”, fleeing danger zones in northern and eastern Syria that are “in fact closer to other neighbouring countries than to Jordan”.

“Jordan is willing to cooperate with any country that might be able to take refugees from the border camp,” the minister stressed, adding that the Syrians in these camps are being provided with their needs of supplies, tents and medications through Jordan, provided by Jordan-based UN agencies, as well as the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and other donors. 

The Kingdom, which currently hosts some 1.3 million Syrians on its territory, or the equivalent of 20 per cent of its population, is facing “serious security, economic and social challenges”, according to experts, who referred to recent concerns raised by His Majesty King Abdullah during a recent interview with CNN.

Fayez Dweiri, a retired major general in the Jordanian army and a military analyst, said Jordan needs to heavily focus on security issues, especially after receiving information that there are Daesh sympathisers amongst those Syrians at the borders.

“Terrorism has become trans-boundary. We have seen bombings in Turkey, Indonesia, Lebanon, Paris and several attacks elsewhere. Therefore, Jordan has all the right to protect its sovereignty and society from any possible imminent threat,” said Dweiri.

“It is the international community to blame for its double standards as its stands regarding burdens shouldered by Jordan are disgraceful and unacceptable…Jordan cannot tolerate any security breach, especially since it is aware that there are Daesh sympathisers amongst those…The humanitarian aspect should not transcend the security aspect in this regard,” warned the military analyst.

In addition to these security concerns, economic challenges should also be taken into account.

With a public debt of JD22.5 billion at present, a growing unemployment rate, a rise in living costs and an estimated budget deficit of more than JD1.2 billion in 2016 coupled with growing security spending, Jordan is in a “very tough situation” and the international community’s aid to Jordan is far from being enough, economist Hosam Ayesh told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

“In November, the EU approved extending 3 billion euros to Turkey, which is one of the largest economies in the world, to lower the chaotic flood of Syrian asylum seekers into Europe... But when it comes to Jordan, one of the smallest economies in the region that faces serious challenges, the international community’s aid has been falling short of the actual needs over the past years,” said the economist.

Jordan appealed for $2.99 billion for interventions to help the Syrian refugees and host communities in 2015, but received 35 per cent of the appeal, according to figures from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

In late 2015, Jordan appealed for $7.99 billion in financing from the international community to its 2016-2018 Jordan Response Plan (JRP) to the Syrian crisis that includes several interventions, programmes and projects.

“Jordan is the third-poorest country in terms of water and faces serious economic challenges. Regional turmoil hit its exports hard and closure of borders with Syria and Iraq caused tremendous losses and lost access to several markets… Jordan cannot do this task alone as each Syrian refugee costs Jordan around JD200 per month and the increase in number of Syrians leads to increase in spending on security,” said Ayesh.

In addition, the JAF spent more than JD500 million to deal with the issue of Syrian refugees, according to a recent statement by the military.

“The international community needs to help those Syrians inside the Syrian territories as Jordan cannot have its borders open all the time while others are watching,” said Ayesh.

But unfortunately, the international community’s intervention is “far from being enough”, according to the UN relief worker, who called for considerable support by the world community for Jordanian efforts.

“Jordan is letting in the elderly, women and children but the process needs to be speeded up as there are many pregnant women and cases that need immediate medical intervention…The international community needs to do more to speed up relief efforts,” said the UN worker.

As Jordan’s resources are stretched too thin, the international community should “urgently help secure the lives of those Syrians as it is not Jordan’s job solely”, the worker added.

With authorities forecasting a depression to bring heavy snowfall next week and temperatures dropping to low levels, especially in the desert, the relief worker said: “There is no time for delaying intervention.”

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday received Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of the US Central Command, at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Discussions covered strategic cooperation, especially in the military field, the statement said.

Talks also addressed the latest regional developments, at the forefront of which are the international efforts to counter terrorism and extremist groups, a Royal Court statement said.

HRH Prince Feisal, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King's Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells attended the meeting. 

Also on Wednesday, Zaben met separately with the US general and discussed military cooperation and the latest regional developments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN – Despite regional turmoil, Jordan continues to be a point of attraction for foreign investors who view the country as an oasis of peace in a volatile region, according to private sector leaders.

Key private sector leaders interviewed by The Jordan Times on Tuesday said that in addition to the country’s security, sound policies and stability of legislation constitute main attractions to foreign investors, advising the authorities to take these two factors into consideration.

The leading representatives of the commercial and industrial sectors said that their continuous meetings with foreign businesspeople and representatives of trade missions from various countries over the past years reflect the high level of confidence in the Kingdom's stability and security despite regional turbulence.  

"We have never seen any kind of hesitation by foreign firms to come to Jordan because of troubles in the Middle East," said Nael Kabariti, president of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC). 

The concerns expressed by possible investors usually relate to volatility of business legislation as it hinders sound planning and affects profitability, Kabariti said.

"Investors are not like tourists. They know for a fact that Jordan is a stable and secure country," he said. 

Kabariti also cited bureaucracy and law enforcement as other issues the government has to address to attract more capital inflows. 

The JCC head said that business missions targeted several European countries in 2014 and 2015 such as Germany, Britain, Belgium and Austria, in addition to visits made to China and Gulf states, adding that potential investors there voiced interest in Jordan’s investment offering, particularly in the energy sector. 

President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce Issa Murad said foreign companies always consider “stable” Jordan as a gateway to regional markets, adding that tens of business delegations came to the Kingdom in the past two years searching for investment opportunities. 

Some business delegates inquired about stability of legislation in the country, said Murad, adding that the new Investment Law, approved last year, sends assurances to potential investors. 

Monetary stability and sound performance of the banking sector are an attraction for foreign firms, he said. 

Murad said although the regional situation did not form a major deterrence to foreign investors, it affected Jordan’s exports to key markets such as Iraq and Syria as well as to Eastern Europe. 

Musa Saket, board member of the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), said that foreign investors usually quote remarks made by His Majesty King Abdullah on the investment environment in Jordan and on economic and political reforms.

“The King’s meetings with foreign investors and his remarks on Jordan make our mission easier when we go outside to attract investments,” he said. 

However, Saket said a main grievance by some businesspeople who had been to Jordan remains the instability in economic and business laws.

Other issues Saket advised decision makers to address include access to finance and skilled labour. 

Deputy chairman of the JCI Fathi Jaghbeir also criticised instability in legislation by pointing to the income tax law the government is working amend.

Expensive energy, availability of trained labour and bureaucracy are major concerns for investors, Jaghbeir said, criticising the government for not setting up trade missions in the Kingdom’s embassies abroad to promote investments.