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AMMAN — King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben met on Sunday with Commander of the III Corps in the US Army Gen.

Sean MacFarland, and an accompanying delegation. The two sides discussed military relations and ways to enhance them. 

AMMAN — Anti-narcotics departments in Jordan and Saudi Arabia have foiled an attempt to smuggle narcotic pills in a postal package containing a painting, and arrested the suspects, the Public Security Department’s (PSD) media centre announced Sunday.

Jordan’s Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) personnel received a tip on those who were attempting to smuggle 9,000 pills by hiding them in a painting and sending it to Saudi Arabia.

AND tracked the package, seized and searched it, discovering the pills. AND informed its Saudi counterpart to investigate another package, which had made it into the neighbouring country.

PSD said joint coordination resulted in identifying three suspects in Jordan, one of whom was arrested, and the other two are still at large.

Saudi authorities apprehended the package’s recipients and investigation in the case was ongoing.

AMMAN/MECCA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday called Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to extend his condolences over the death of worshippers when a tower crane collapsed in Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Friday, according to a Royal Court statement. 

In the phone conversation, His Majesty expressed his sympathies with the families of the deceased and wishes of swift recovery for the injured.

Earlier in the day, His Majesty sent a cable to King Salman to condole him over the loss of life among the faithful in the shrine.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities said Saturday the annual Hajj, the greater Muslim pilgrimage, would go ahead despite the accident that killed at least 107 people at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, where crowds returned to pray a day after the disaster.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have already arrived in Mecca for the Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings which last year drew 2 million worshippers.

Parts of the Grand Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, remained sealed off Saturday around the remains of the red and white crane, accentuating the crush of humanity inside.

Worshippers thronged the mosque as the midday call to prayer sounded, according to an AFP report.

Indonesians and Indians were among those killed when the crane collapsed during a storm on what is the main weekly prayer day for Muslims. Around 200 others were injured.

A Saudi official said this year’s Hajj, expected to start on September 21, would proceed despite the tragedy.

“It definitely will not affect the Hajj this season and the affected part will probably be fixed in a few days,” said the official, who declined to be named.

As world leaders offered condolences, the governor of Mecca region, Prince Khaled Al Faisal, ordered an investigation into the incident.

Abdel Aziz Naqoor, who said he works at the mosque, told AFP he saw the massive construction crane fall after being hit by the storm.

“If it weren’t for Al Tawaf Bridge the injuries and deaths would have been worse,” he said, referring to a covered walkway that surrounds the holy Kaaba, which broke the crane’s fall.

The Kaaba is a massive cube-shaped structure at the centre of the mosque towards which Muslims worldwide pray.

Saudis and foreigners lined up on Friday night to give blood in response to the tragedy.

Outside one hospital, more than 100 people waited in the street for their turn to donate.

Pictures of the incident on Twitter showed bloodied bodies strewn across a courtyard where the top part of the crane, which appeared to have bent or snapped, had crashed into the building which is several storeys high.

A video on YouTube showed people screaming and rushing around right after a massive crash was heard.

Many faithful would have been gathered there ahead of evening maghreb prayer, which occurred about an hour after the tragedy.

Ahmed Bin Mohammad Al Mansoori, spokesman for the two holy mosques, was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying part of a crane collapsed at 5:10pm (1410 GMT) “as a result of strong winds and heavy rains”.

More rain and strong winds were forecast for Saturday, the agency said.

Worldwide condolences 

Irfan Al Alawi, co-founder of the Mecca-based Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, compared the carnage to that caused by a bomb.

He suggested authorities were negligent in having a series of cranes overlooking the mosque.

“They do not care about the heritage, and they do not care about health and safety,” he told AFP.

Alawi is an outspoken critic of redevelopment at the holy sites, which he says is wiping away tangible links to Prophet Mohammad.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, said that in addition to two Indonesians who lost their lives, more than 30 were injured, some seriously.

The foreign ministry in New Delhi said two Indians were killed and that 15 others were being treated in hospital for injuries.

Malaysia said 10 of its nationals were hurt and six unaccounted for. 

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said 15 Iranian pilgrims were among those hurt, while Egypt said 23 of its nationals were injured.

Condolences came from around the world, including from Arab leaders, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Britain’s David Cameron.

This is not the first time tragedy has struck Mecca pilgrims. In 2006, several hundred were killed in a stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual in nearby Mina, following a similar incident two years earlier. 

But the Hajj has been nearly incident-free in recent years because of multibillion dollar projects.

Work is under way to expand the area of the Grand Mosque by 400,000 square metres (4.3 million square feet), allowing it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.

YINCHUAN, China – President of the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) Montaser Oqlah on Saturday urged Chinese businesspeople to change their attitude towards Jordan and the Middle East from a consuming market to a centre for investments to achieve economic integration and ensure access to international markets. 

"The region has something to offer to Chinese investors and manufacturers and Jordan has a lot to offer," he told a gathering of businesspeople in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on the sidelines of the 2015 China-Arab States Expo  that will conclude Sunday. 

His Majesty King Abdullah attended the inauguration of the event and open the Jordanian pavilion at the four-day business event, during which Chinese investments in Jordan worth around $7 billion were announced. 

Speaking at a special session on business opportunities titled “Invest in Jordan,”the JIC chief said that Jordan can offer Chinese investors who choose to start from the Kingdom access to around 1 billion consumers in international markets, thanks to free trade agreements with several countries such as the US, Canada and the Europe. 

“You may ask why Jordan. Here are some answers. By establishing industrial projects in Jordan, Chinese firms can overcome tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers they face when trying to access international markets,” he said, adding that the Kingdom’s strategic location in the heart of the Middle East and North Africa is another advantage for incoming businesses. 

Jordan can also offer qualified human resources,a strong and growing economy, an attractive business environment, modern infrastructure, rule of law and a new investment law with many incentives among other advantages, Oqlah said. 

He cited some of the key sectors that would be attractive to Chinese firms such as the energy, ICT, transportation, railways, health and tourism. 

During the session, representatives from  the public and private sectors gave presentations on available investment opportunities and incentives for investors. 

Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation Chief Executive Ali Madadha said there are five industrial cities in Jordan with plans to build other five within five years at a cost of JD51 million, adding investments enjoy a 5 per cent income tax for income generated from all economic activities undertaken in the zones, export tax exemptions on goods and services, zero sales tax for goods and services used by the enterprise and for business purposes and customs duties exemptions. 

On available opportunities, Madadha said the corporation is seeking renewable energy projects to cut energy costs on industries in addition to investments in the fields of food processing and pharmaceuticals.   

He noted that there are 743 industrial establishments in the zones with an investment value of around $3 billion. 

Mohammad Nawafleh, chief commissioner of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), briefed the audience, who represented the spectra of Chinese businesses, on the opportunities available in Petra as a unique tourist destination and one of the World’s Seven Wonders. 

He said that over 3.2 million tourists have visited Petra over the past five years, adding that PDTRA is seeking to build large- and medium-sized enterprises in the coming years that include Petra Land, which, he said, is a Disney Land themed project, teleferic, a golf playground, a water park and luxury complexes. 

Calling on Chinese investors to explore the opportunities, Nawafleh said the cost of these schemes is estimated at JD220 million, adding that the authority is seeking through them to increase the number of tourists to the ancient city to 2-2.5 million a year.

Taha Zboun, chief executive officer of the Dead Sea Development Zone Company, urged businesspeople attending the event to see the available opportunities of the Dead Sea, which, he said, is only a three-to-four hour flight for tourist coming from Europe and oil-rich Gulf countries. 

Over the past four years, the company attracted investments worth over $1 billion, according to Zboun. 

Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources also presented investment prospects in the sector including renewable energy and mining involving gold, silica sand and basalt. 

The healthcare sector was among the highlights of the session. Abdullah Hindawi, director of the Jordan Private Hospitals Association, told the gathering that the sector is still in need for more investments as the Kingdom’s health facilities have become the primary destination for patients in the region. 

In 2014, Jordanian medical facilities provided treatment to over 250,000 patients from 46 countries, Hindawi said, adding that revenues exceeded JD1.2 billion. 

Jordan is the first regional country in medical tourism and the fifth internationally, he said, citing figures released by the World Bank.    

Peter Marji, from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, said that investments valued at more than $20 billion from investors from 70 nationalities have come to Aqaba since it was transformed into a special economic zone in 2001.

YINCHUAN, China – Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) is in talks with two Chinese automakers to build assembly plants in the Kingdom to produce cars for Middle East and North Africa markets, JIC President Montaser Oqlah said Saturday. 

“The talks are serious as they are very interested to do business in Jordan,” Oqlah told Jordanian journalists on the sidelines of the 2015 China-Arab States Expo, which started last Thursday in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region. 

He refused to give further details or the names of the manufacturers. 

Speaking on the $7 billion investments announced Thursday during the economic forum, attended by His Majesty King Abdullah, Oqlah said other investments are expected to follow as Chinese businesspeople showed “immense interest” in the Jordanian market as a base for projects targeting regional and international markets. 

Security problems and instability in the region were major concerns for Chinese firms, but the announcement of the $7 billion investments is an indicator that they know the facts about Jordan as an oasis of calm despite regional turmoil, he noted, adding that China is on top of the lists in the new investment strategy for the Kingdom. 

Oqlah said that the JIC has signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Trade Company to help the Kingdom identify and target large Chinese firms to come to Jordan to carry out projects in key fields such as infrastructure, energy and railways among others. 

“Representatives from the company will be visiting Amman in mid-October for this purpose,” he added, pointing out that on September 15 a Jordanian-Chinese business forum will be held in Beijing, organised by the Jordanian embassy there. 

Between 200 and 300 companies from China will be attending the forum to look into investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, he said. 

Oqlah said that the respect and admiration King Abdullah enjoys from Chinese officials and businesspeople gave a boost to attracting investments from China, praising the support his commission receives from His Majesty and the government. 

“This participation was exceptional due to the huge interest Chinese businesses showed in Jordan,” he added. 

The JIC chief indicated that a memorandum of understanding was signed in Beijing while the King was there to establish a Sino-Jordanian technical university in Amman, but the size of investment in the project was still not decided. 

Jordan is an honorary guest in the 2015 China-Arab States Expo with the two largest pavilions. The four-day event concludes Sunday. 

AMMAN –– The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) will take a series of measures to protect public health and the environment during the upcoming sacrifice season, a GAM official said on Saturday.  

With the approach of Eid Al Adha, which will start in the fourth week of September, according to the Islamic calendar, GAM plans to intensify its monitoring process to make sure that the slaughtering of livestock, a ritual associated with the religious holiday, is done according to regulations and in a way that will not harm public health, said Basem Tarawneh, deputy director for districts and environmental affairs at GAM. 

The feast of the sacrifice marks the end of the pilgrimage season, when Muslims of sufficient means are required to sacrifice livestock in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God.

“We recently defined a number of locations for vendors to sell their sheep and people to do the slaughtering. We tried as much as possible to ensure that the locations are far from main streets so that no traffic jams will result,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

GAM annually designates locations around the capital to sell and slaughter sacrifices for Eid Al Adha to prevent the phenomenon of random slaughterhouses and commit traders and cattle owners to public hygiene standards.

Abdul Majeed Oudwan, GAM’s executive director for markets, said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times that the municipality has designated 14 locations in the capital such as Basman, Shafa Badran, KhreibetAl Souq, Suweilieh, Bader, Nazzal, Muqabalin, Naser, Marj Al Hamam, Ras Al Ain, Qweismeh and Marka in addition to official slaughterhouses in Madonah and Ain Ghazal in eastern Amman.

He noted that the time of registration at these venues will be announced soon. 

Tarawneh said tanks will be built underground to collect the blood and a number of sanitation workers will be deployed at these locations to make sure of the cleanness of the these venues. 

“Many veterinarians will be working at the locations as well to check the sheep and ensure that the sheep and other slaughter animals are not sick,” he added. 

He noted that GAM asks vendors to pay a specific amount of money for services and a refundable deposit to guarantee that they will abide by regulations. 

A total of 42,879 sheep were sacrificed in areas under GAM’s jurisdiction during last year’s Eid Al Adha, while 84,691 heads of sheep were sold at designated pens in the capital, according to the municipality.

A total of 7,000 heads of cattle were slaughtered and presented to 14,000 underprivileged families under a Royal makruma, in addition to slaughtering 600 lambs for donations through Tkiyet Um Ali, a charity fighting hunger in the community.

Tarawneh also called on people to buy from the locations GAM defines.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah returned home on Saturday after a working visit to South Korea and China, during which he held talks with the leaders of the two countries, addressing political and economic issues. 

Besides focusing on ways to boost bilateral cooperation, the talks addressed regional developments, according to a Royal Court statement.

On Friday, King Abdullah and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye discussed ways to strengthen Jordanian-Korean cooperation in all fields.  They also reviewed regional and international developments. 

At a summit meeting held at the presidential palace in Seoul, the two leaders underscored the strong relations between the two countries, stressing the need to build on them, especially since the two countries are bound by several cooperation agreements.  

Discussions addressed ways to increase cooperation, especially in building infrastructure projects that the country is carrying out in several key sectors, including energy, water and transport, according to the statement. 

Korea’s president commended the Kingdom’s recently launched economic blueprint “Jordan 2025”, pointing out that her country is interested in the projects mentioned in the plan, especially in the areas of health and education.

The talks also dealt with regional and global developments, including the developments in Syria and global efforts to combat terrorism and radical ideologies.

At the end of the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governments of the two countries on cooperation in the fields of electric and renewable energy. The MoU was signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Korean Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Yoon Sang-jick.

The two leaders also attended the signing of an agreement reciprocally exempting holders of diplomatic passports of the visa requirement. 

Also in Seoul on Friday, King Abdullah met separately with Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Jae-yong, Chief Executive Officer of Daewoo International Corporation Young-Sang Kim and several representatives of Korean economic institutions. 

Discussions addressed ways to increase Korean investments in Jordan, drawing attention to incentives and the investment environment in Jordan.

While meeting with the Samsung vice chairman and other company officials, the Monarch urged the company to expand its investment in the Kingdom, highlighting the good reputation it has acquired in different parts of the world. 

Samsung officials said the company was looking forward to upgrading its research division in Jordan and to expanding its manufacturing base in the Kingdom. They also expressed interest in assisting Jordan to develop its vocational training programmes. 

Talks addressed the training that the University of Jordan-based Samsung Academy provides to university students in a manner that meets the needs of the labour market. 

Besides pledging to look into the possibility of expanding electronic equipment manufacturing in Jordan, the company’s officials expressed interest in the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project.

At the King’s meeting with the Daewoo International Corporation CEO, discussions addressed the possibility of building partnerships with public and private Jordanian industrial entities. 

King Abdullah highlighted Jordan’s openness and the investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, pointing out that the country is working to draw foreign investment to strengthen and bolster its development projects in various parts of the Kingdom.  

Also, at his meeting with representatives of South Korea’s economic institutions, in the presence of South Korea’s Ambassador to Jordan Choi Hong-ghi, the King noted that Jordan sees South Korea as a strategic partner in several projects, in light of its advanced and developed experience. 

He said Jordan admires the Korean success story, pointing out that Jordan can provide unique investment opportunities for Korean businessmen and investors in the IT, banking, mining and pharmaceutical sectors, in particular. 

 The Monarch also highlighted the free trade accords signed between Jordan and several world countries, pointing out that such deals have secured Jordan access to one billion consumers, while serving as a gateway to regional markets. 

In China, the first leg of his working visit, King Abdullah held talks with China’s President Xi Jinping on bilateral relations and regional and global developments.  The visit culminated with the signing of a joint statement between the two leaders, announcing the establishment of a strategic partnership between both countries.

During the visit, Jordan and China signed several memoranda of understanding and agreements valued at more than $7 billion in the fields of oil shale, renewable energy, electricity generating, railway and training. 

The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the 2015 China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, China, which was inaugurated on Thursday in the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah, who opened the Jordanian pavilion.

AMMAN — Although Hisham Khatib has a career spanning 50 years in the energy sector, the former minister has also found the time to dedicate himself to preserving Arab history and heritage.

The former minister of water, energy and planning, has turned his home into a museum, showcasing a vast collection of maps, atlases, paintings, early photographs, manuscripts and valuable books.

The treasure trove of documented history is the result of decades of dedicated and meticulous work, he said in a recent interview at his residence. 

“My main advantage is my knowledge," said Khatib, who studied in Cairo and the UK, and witnessed the cultural renaissance in Egypt 60 years ago. 

His books — “Palestine and Egypt under Ottomans: Paintings, Books, Photographs, Maps and Manuscripts”, published in 2003, and “Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan: Images of the Holy Land”, published in 2013 — deal with the hidden treasures from the period of Ottoman rule in the Holy Land (1517-1917).

His private collection includes hundreds of original first photographs of Palestine and Jordan, including Petra, as well as photographs of Athens that date back to 1860, and a version of the Koran in manuscript and rare early translations into foreign languages.

Jordanian cultural institutions can do more to preserve rich Arab art and heritage, Khatib said, noting that some of them have been doing so in last few years.

“A lot of effort is needed. But it is improving.”

"Preservation of culture is becoming appreciated and improving. Museums, the media and articles help a lot. There is increasing activity like that in Amman nowadays,” Khatib added.

“Usually there are societies and clubs in which connoisseurs meet and exchange ideas and knowledge,” he said.

“This has not developed yet in Jordan. I hope it will in the future. But exchanges and encounters are not uncommon. I am a member of ASTENE [the Association for Study of Travellers in Egypt and the Near East]. It is located in the UK but we hold meetings and conferences in the Middle East region as well.”

Prior to the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt and Syria (1798-1801) the West had neglected the Orient after the Crusaders left the area in the late 13th century.

Proper documentation of the region started in the early 19th century, so plenty of documents, paintings and recordings became available, according to the former minister.

Khatib has also studied works of Western scholars, travellers and artists who visited the region and tried to learn more about this part of the world. 

Some of their works are based on scientific research while others are just pure fiction, he said.

The atlas of well-known French cartographer Pierre Jacotin is part of Khatib’s collection. This is the first scientific atlas of the holy land. 

The avid collector also possesses the Palestine Exploration Fund atlas of 1880 called "Map of Western Palestine".

His hobby has gained international recognition and he has given lectures on Ottoman cultural heritage in the holy land in London, at the British Museum.

“I recently lectured about the history of the holy land.”

It was Khatib's second lecture there after the one he delivered in 2003 when his first book about Middle Eastern cultural heritage was published.

He said he plans more cultural events and lectures later this year. 

“I expect to mount an exhibition about Jerusalem panoramas during the year as well.”

AMMAN — Police on Saturday said they were questioning a father and his son for allegedly having fired live ammunition during a wedding in an Amman suburb over the weekend.

The two were at the wedding of another son in Wadi Seer on Friday, Police Spokesperson Amer Sartawi said.

“We received a complaint that gunshots were heard during the wedding and arrested the father and his son (not the groom) for questioning,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

The government and the Public Security Department (PSD) pledged to crack down on individuals who fire live ammunition at weddings or other celebrations.

In August, the chief of police pledged to lock up any groom whose wedding includes festive shooting.

“The groom will spend his honeymoon in prison if shooting occurs at his wedding to celebrate the occasion,” Public Security Department (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi told Amen FM, the PSD radio station.

“The PSD will conduct campaigns in various governorates and arrest any person who owns a gun without a licence and/or arrest people who fire weapons for any occasion, and individuals who sell weapons and ammunition for this purpose,” said a PSD statement in August.

Amen FM also launched a campaign called “Stop shooting live ammunition. Do not kill me with your celebrations”.

In Wadi Musa, around 240km south of Amman, a youth group active in the Haqiq (achieve) initiative launched by HRH Crown Prince Hussein were handing out leaflets with the slogan: “Enough violence. Arms are killing us,” as part of a national grass-roots campaign that gained momentum after remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah, ordering police to arrest anyone who fires a gun at a festivity, “even if it were my own son”.

Interior Minister Salameh Hammad told the police radio station in August that he had instructed administrative governors to order the detention of anyone who possesses unlicensed weapons or uses them.

According to official figures released last October, three people were killed and 41 were injured by festive firing in 2014.

At least 21 cases of complaints were filed last year against shooters who could not be identified, according to the PSD.

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Saturday decided to pay retirees’ salaries before Eid Al Adha.

SSC Director General Nadia Rawabdeh said all 175,000 retirees will receive their salaries on September 20 at 12pm to be able to buy Eid necessities.

This year, Eid Al Adha is expected to fall during the last week of September, according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

The government has previously announced a similar decision.