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AMMAN – Around 60 women gathered outside the Prime Ministry on Wednesday to protest against the depiction of terrorists in a drill at the Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX) 2014 last week. 

In a military exercise conducted by the Jordan Armed Forces at SOFEX, terrorists were depicted as women wearing headscarves (hijab) and bearded men.

Participants at Wednesday's demonstration, organised by the Muslim Brotherhood, held banners expressing their support for hijab, while one woman addressed the protesters, expressing her anger over the incident.

Dima Tahboub said participants want to send a message that hijab does not illustrate terrorism.  

"This act humiliates Jordanian society, since a great number of women wear hijab," the member of the movement's women’s division told The Jordan Times during the protest.

She noted that SOFEX organisers must apologise because this act will further link Islam with terrorism. 

Um Hamzah, another participant, said organisers must show the "true, bright image" of Islam rather than use hijab as a way to represent terrorism. 

"Muslims are kind and they do not harm other people," she added. 

Jamilah Ayoub, another protester, voiced concern that what happened at SOFEX might discourage young girls from wearing hijab. 

PETRA — British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, who is best known for his role as Mr Bean, visited the ancient city of Petra on Wednesday, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Petra said Atkinson was acquainted with the ancient city’s various monuments and archaeological sites.

According to the agency, Atkinson expressed his delight at visiting the city, which he described as amazing.

Atkinson first came to prominence in the sketch comedy show “Not the Nine O’Clock News” (1979-82).

A poll by The Observer listed him as one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy and among the top 50 comedians ever.

AMMAN — Jordan is a popular destination for Malaysian travellers, who — like other tourists from East Asia — are interested in visiting the country that is home to many places mentioned in the holy books, a Malaysian official said late Tuesday.

Malaysian Minister of Tourism and Culture Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said Jordan can tap the Malaysian market and promote its attractions among his compatriots, who are “passionate” about visiting places mentioned in holy books.

“Jordan is a place that confirms what one has read about in history,” Abdul Aziz said at a press conference on Tuesday evening, adding that even the climate of the Kingdom can help attract more tourists from his country.

For educational tourism, Jordan is a popular destination for Malaysians, with 3,000 Malaysian students currently studying here, he said.

In addition, Jordan and Malaysia have started negotiating a tourism cooperation agreement and “we hope to sign it before the end of the year,” the official added.

Jordan can benefit from Malaysian experience in tourism, a sector that annually generates 65 billion ringgit (around $20 billion).

The minister explained that government support to the tourism sector is an “investment” as the return for investing in tourism is 64 times more than the seed money.

Figures he presented indicated that around 7,000 of the 324,437 West Asian tourists who visited Malaysia in 2013, were from Jordan.

Abdul Aziz’s visit is part of a mission to promote his country as a tourist destination through the “Visit Malaysia 2014” campaign.

AMMAN — French companies working in the field of renewable energy have great opportunities to do business in Jordan, French Ambassador Caroline Dumas said Wednesday.

Jordan, which imports about 97 per cent of its energy needs, has strategies and plans to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the overall energy mix, and French companies working in this field can play a role in this regard, the ambassador said."Jordan has the regulatory frameworks for renewable energy projects. It also enjoys a safe and stable environment for investments," the ambassador said at the Franco Jordanian Forum on Renewable Energy that started Wednesday.

The Kingdom, she added, can be a gateway into the region.

Ahmad Armoush, president of the Franco-Jordanian Business Club (CAFRAJ), said the Kingdom is seen as a pioneering country in the region when it comes to implementing renewable energy projects.

"Jordan is rich when it comes to renewable energy and the potential for such projects in the Kingdom is high," Armoush said at the event, where representatives of several French and local companies working in renewable energy took part.

Jordan has one of the highest annual daily averages of solar irradiance in the world with an estimated 330 days of sunshine per year, while wind speeds in the country are as high as 7.5 metres per second and up to 11.5 metres per second in hilly areas.

The Kingdom is working on a series of renewable energy projects that will increase the contribution of local energy resources to the energy grid from the current 3 per cent to 40 per cent by 2020.

Stressing that the government will go ahead with renewable energy projects, Lina Shbeeb, transport minister and acting minister of energy and mineral resources, said energy security is crucial for advancing the country's economy.

Shbeeb said Jordan's energy bill in 2013 was JD4.08 billion, representing about 17 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

The minister also reviewed several deals and memoranda of understanding signed with several local and international companies in the field of solar and wind energy.

A delegation of 12 French companies working in the field of renewable energy is attending the forum, along with the French Syndicate for Renewable Energy (SER) and the Mediterranean Institute for Renewable Energy. 

The forum, which concludes on Thursday, is organised by the
CAFRAJ in cooperation with the French embassy, the Jordan Investment Board, SER and the French Agency for Development.

Following is the full text of His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech during ‘Innovative Jordan’ Conference at the University of California at Berkeley on Tuesday:

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Thank you, Ron. I’m delighted to be here. I want to thank sincerely our hosts here at UC Berkeley, especially Chancellor Dirks and Jeff.

This university is a notable home to innovative thinking, and I hope this event makes a contribution. My thanks to all of you who are giving your time to be with us today. Let me especially acknowledge SkyDeck. Its model for start-up and business incubation serves our global future.

I have always been fascinated by the ability of entrepreneurs to take a brick… see in it a house — and build a whole city. But new enterprises need solid ground to build on. And that’s Jordan’s vision. An economy open to jobs-rich, export-oriented growth. A level playing field. Investments in education; R&D and infrastructure. Help for ICT and other startups: enterprise and development zones, innovation accelerators and more.

Why this commitment? Two words: National interest. Our country wants and needs jobs — good jobs — especially for young people, the majority of our population. Private-sector creativity is key.

To support these goals, Jordan took some very deliberate steps fifteen years ago. We saw an urgent requirement for inclusive, sustainable reform — strengthening stakeholding and active citizenship… creating opportunity… and raising the standard of living across all communities.

This path is grounded in what makes Jordan Jordan: moderation and openness; respect for others; inclusiveness; concern for the future. These values have made Jordan a partner in regional peacemaking, global peacekeeping, and interfaith dialogue... and a voice for the entrepreneurial spirit in our region.

We have been equally determined to keep Jordan a stable and resilient oasis for our people. Recently, refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria have sought a safe haven in our country. Syrians in Jordan now total 1.3 million… 20 per cent of our population. This influx has put a heavy demand on Jordan’s resources. We cope by working closely with the international community to achieve adequate levels of humanitarian assistance… but much more is needed.

To sustain economic growth, we are looking to a new, ten-year economic blueprint based on nationwide consultations. “Jordan 2025” will combine an action plan with tough performance management… locating a delivery capacity at the centre of government, to ensure that outcomes meet expectations.

We are also leveraging national assets. Jordan connects three continents and enjoys exceptional international relationships and multiple FTAs. This position gives Jordan-based enterprises access to one-billion customers, including Europe, the US and Asia.

And we have an asset even more important: our people. They are young, aspiring, and globally aware. They are active users of the Internet, social media and new technology. They know regional demand for content, apps and platforms — indeed, they are helping to drive that demand.

All this talent provides a market-ready pool for multiple business sectors. Consider ICT. From a tiny position fifteen years ago, ICT is now the fastest-growing sector in our economy... contributing 12 per cent of our GDP, and directly and indirectly, some 80,000 jobs. Jordanian ICT has had its challenges, but today, IT exports are up eight-fold, reaching some 60 countries.

Our climate of innovation has brought Jordan the name of “Silicon Wadi”. Amman has become the regional capital for start-ups, and the tenth best place to start a technology company in the world. Companies are scaling-up and making successful exits to global industry leaders. Jordan is home to the three most popular content portals in the Arab world, managing 75 per cent of Arabic user-generated content.

ICT is only one of the industries that benefits from Jordan’s position as the gateway to the 350 million people of the Middle East and North Africa. MENA consumers speak one language, Arabic. More than 70 per cent are 30 or younger. It is a market ripe for growth and under-penetrated by US firms. And Jordan’s tech-proficient, bilingual workforce puts you in prime position to reach these consumers.

Let me pause to thank all those who have believed in our journey — Bay Area accelerators like 500Startups, Plug & Play, and Alchemist; investors like Intel Capital; corporations like Cisco Systems, other angels and mentors. Bay area Jordanians have also been important in helping us unlock our potential.

My friends,

We want to propel these efforts much, much further. This will take leadership from both the public and the private sector. In this context, I was pleased to see that Jordan jumped three places in the World Economic Forum’s Network Readiness Index, reaffirming our leadership. This is a trend we are determined to continue.

We are committed to working closely with the ICT industry and other new enterprise. We want your success. And we will do all we can to help you, every step of the way.

I welcome all of you to engage with our young emerging nation, whether as business colleagues, investors, or mentors. You will find Jordan’s tech scene remarkably familiar: creative, passionate, and excited about the future. Visit and join in.

May I say, there’s no place better to begin than the MENA ICT Forum in Amman this coming November. You will meet innovators and achievers from across Jordan and the region, along with top global players. Come, share your ideas, network and discover. I believe you will find partners to make your most creative ideas become reality.

Thank you.

AMMAN — The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) on Wednesday announced an integrated master plan for the development of Wadi Araba, which will entail water, agricultural, tourist and industrial ventures.

During its session on Tuesday, the Cabinet decided to shift Wadi Araba from the jurisdiction of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority to the JVA.

“[The decision] seeks to create comprehensive development across the country… the Cabinet has approved the plan submitted by the infrastructure committee for bringing integrated development to Wadi Araba,” Water Minister Hazem Nasser said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

Nasser, who is chairman of JVA’s board of directors, said the authority will be able to carry out the planned development projects in Wadi Araba, given its extensive experience in managing the Jordan Valley.

The JVA will create a new specialised unit that will supervise the implementation of the development projects in Wadi Araba, a 165-kilometre long and 9-25-kilometre-wide area between Southern Ghor and the Gulf of Aqaba, an official at the ministry told The Jordan Times.

In the statement, Nasser underscored that the development ventures will be implemented once funding is secured, highlighting that the projects seek to attract people to live in Wadi Araba and businessmen to invest in the area.

In addition, the JVA will carry out assessment surveys of the area’s natural resources and evaluate existing and planned industries to identify the industrial sector’s needs, according to the minister.

Increasing agricultural activity in Wadi Araba is among the main pillars of the master plan, Nasser said, noting that the JVA will continue to support irrigated cultivation by expanding agricultural projects and extending more irrigation networks.

Current agricultural activity will be evaluated and new projects will be planned after the JVA identifies which types of crops best suit the area, Nasser added, highlighting that projects to improve animal production in Wadi Araba are also proposed under the master plan.

“The agricultural lands in Wadi Araba will be increased by 8,000 dunums at a cost of JD22 million to benefit from existing water resources in the area,” he said.

The master plan also includes the construction of several dams and sand dams, including the Wadi Musa Dam, which is designed to hold 1.2 million cubic metres (mcm), at an estimated cost of JD6 million. 

Another JD6 million dam will be established in Wadi Rahmah to store 650,000 cubic metres, as well as a JD1.5 million dam in Wadi Al Fidan, with a capacity of 1mcm, the minister said in the statement.

Two sand dams, each with a capacity of 100,000 cubic metres, will be established in Qreiqrah and Rahmah this year at a cost of JD500,000, according to Nasser.

Meanwhile, the planned Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project, which will pass through Wadi Araba, is expected to have a major impact on the area’s development by attracting investment, the minister noted.

“Lakes will be created to establish tourist projects, chalets and entertainment centres, in addition to artificial sea-water lakes for fish farming.” 

Nasser explained that the master plan has indentified land usage in Wadi Araba in accordance with its topography, infrastructure, historical and archaeological sites, nature reserves as well as locations that attract birds.

Wadi Araba is situated along Rift Valley-Red Sea route, which is the world’s second most-used flyway, with 37 types of migratory soaring birds that maintain flight by using rising air currents, travelling on the flyway annually, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.

Migratory birds in the southern hemisphere use the Rift Valley/Red Sea Flyway to return to Europe and the northern hemisphere in the spring. On their journey, more than 1.5 million birds stop over in places like the Jordan Valley to rest and drink water.

At least five of these species are globally endangered, such as white and black storks, buzzards, eagles and vultures.

AMMAN — The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) on Wednesday said it approved a request by Orange Jordan to renew its second generation (2G) licence for five years in return for JD52.1 million, a decision the company said it was “forced to accept”.

The TRC noted that the door remains open for Orange Jordan to submit a request to renew its 2G licence for an additional 10 years for a fee that can be decided at a later stage.

The TRC had originally set a JD156 million fee to renew Orange Jordan’s 2G licence for 15 years, which the operator described as “unreasonably high”.

“The TRC’s decision is meant to preserve the interests of all involved parties while taking into account the real value of the 2G frequencies,” the commission said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

Orange Jordan, 51 per cent of which is owned by France Telecom, said it still strongly rejects the “unfair valuation of the licence and was forced to make this huge compromise in order to avoid the threat of service restriction or cancellation and the radical consequences it would have had on its customers, employees, the Jordanian ICT industry and the Kingdom as a whole”.

“The company, supported by many of its stakeholders, will continue to utilise all available legal channels in order to open the eyes of authorities on the risks of imposing increased financial burdens on the sector,” Orange Jordan said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

Having secured the renewal of its spectrum licence, Orange Jordan said it will maintain its commitment to investing in its network, utilising all available technological innovations to enhance the coverage and speed of its data services. 

In its statement, the company did not mention whether it will proceed with lawsuits recently filed against the government.

Earlier this week, the operator said it will resort to international arbitration in the US if no deal is reached soon with the government to set a “reasonable” price for the 2G licence renewal.

Orange Jordan has also filed lawsuits against the TRC at the Higher Court of Justice and the Amman Court of First Instance.

The TRC and the ICT Ministry maintain that the pricing is fair and based on detailed scientific studies.

AMMAN –– An open-ended strike that Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO) workers began on Wednesday will not have a negative impact on the general public, according to the president of the Electricity Workers Union (EWU). 

JEPCO employees gathered outside their company’s premises, calling on management and the government to meet their demands. 

EWU President Ali Hadid said the striking employees, who number around 2,700, want a full month’s salary as an end of service compensation for every year of employment.

Despite the ongoing strike, JEPCO workers will make sure that there are no disruptions in the power supply, Hadid said, but subscribers will not be able to pay their bills.

JEPCO distributes electricity to around 3 million subscribers in the cities of Amman, Zarqa, Salt and Madaba.

The employees also want a JD50 raise added to their basic salaries, a JD50 cost of living allowance, a JD20 increase in hazard pay, a JD90 monthly service allowance and a JD25 allowance for transport department staff.

In addition, they want all employees to have 30 days paid leave, Hadid said.

The union submitted these demands to JEPCO in October 2013, but have received no response, he added, noting that the employees were forced to begin their strike as the company did not agree to their demands. 

A source at JEPCO who spoke on a condition of anonymity said the end of service compensation will cost the company JD2.5 million, while the other demands will cost JD7 million.

“This will increase the financial burdens of the company and result in increasing people’s electricity bills,” he told The Jordan Times. 

The source claimed management offered a compromise to the employees by agreeing to meet several demands at more “reasonable costs”, but they refused. 

“The amount we promised would have cost us around JD3.5 million,” he added, noting that JEPCO has financial problems.  “The company incurred JD10 million in losses last year.”

Mohammad Sakarneh, one of the employees who is taking part in the strike, described their demands as “fair”. 

“We face hazardous conditions while working and we have the right to be adequately compensated,” added Sakarneh, who has been working at the company for seven years.  

AMMAN — Approving or rejecting the Syrian authorities’ request to allow its nationals in the Kingdom to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, hinges on the country’s security, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Nasser Judeh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the government is still considering the request it has received from the Syrian embassy in Amman for allowing Syrians vote in their country’s upcoming elections.

“We do not interfere in the Syria’s affairs, but if a decision [allowing Syrians here to vote] will affect our security, we have the right,” to take the appropriate measure, Judeh told the press in response to a question during a press conference he held Tuesday to announce the release of Jordanian Ambassador to Libya Fawaz Aitan.

The minister added that there is a state of polarisation among Syrians living in Jordan and “we do not want anything that might affect the security of our country”.

According to the latest official figures, around 1.3 million Syrians reside in Jordan.

Over 600,000 of them are registered as refugees, while the rest are not registered as some of them came to the country before the start of crisis in their homeland.

The upcoming Syrian presidential elections are slated for June 3, according to reports, while Syrians residing abroad will cast their votes at their country’s embassies on May 28.

Currently, three candidates are running for the elections, including incumbent President Bashar Assad.

The other two are Maher Hajjar and Hassan Abdullah Al Nouri.

The UN says over 150,000 have been killed so far in the Syrian civil war, which started with peaceful anti-regime protests in 2011.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Ambassador to Libya Fawaz Aitan, who was kidnapped by an armed group mid-April, was freed and returned home on Tuesday.

Later on Tuesday, His Majesty King Abdullah called Aitan from San Francisco “to congratulate him on returning home safely”, according to the Royal Court statement.

Aitan arrived at Marka Military Airport around 10:00am and was greeted by HRH Prince Feisal, the Regent, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, in addition to family members and a crowd of Jordanians.

According to Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khalid Kalaldeh, Aitan was released as part of a swap deal for Libyan prisoner Mohamed Dersi who was handed over to Libyan authorities last week.

Dersi was serving a life sentence imprisonment in Jordan for plotting to carry out a bombing attack against Queen Alia International Airport in 2006.

Kalaldeh told The Jordan Times that Dersi will spend the rest of his term in Libyan prisons.

However, news reports stated that Dersi was handed over by the Libyan authorities to his family on Tuesday.

The release of the Jordanian diplomat comes just days after Libya said it had ratified an extradition agreement with Jordan.

Later in the day, Judeh extended his thanks to the General Intelligence Department for its effort in releasing Aitan.

He noted that they had a great role along with the ministry’s operations room and the Libyan authorities in freeing the diplomat.

At a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, Judeh refused to consider freeing Aitan as part of a “deal” to send Dersi back to his home.

The minister insisted that there have been talks about handing Dersi over to  Libyan authorities even before Aitan’s abduction.

Judeh also declined to comment on the identity of the kidnappers or their affiliation, as he only said their demand was to free Dersi, and “our main concern was to release the ambassador”.

“There had already been talks between the two states to come up with an agreement to send Dersi back to his country,” based on the pan-Arab Riyadh Agreement, Judeh told the press, adding that the abduction took place during these negotiations.

As for the negotiations over the past four weeks, the top diplomat stressed that Jordan did not negotiate with the kidnappers and only went through state-to-state negotiations.

He explained that Tripoli assigned its ambassador to India Ali Eisawi with the issue and the government of Jordan was in contact with him and other influential Libyan figures.

Meanwhile, Judeh said there had been no mediation from any other country in the release of the Jordanian diplomat.

The release of Aitan, according to Judeh, was confirmed on Monday evening.

In a statement to the press up on his arrival Aitan said the kidnappers “treated me in a civilised and humane manner,” Agence France-Presse reported, adding that Aitan said his abductors were relatives of Dersi.

Judeh said that Jordan will consider sending an envoy to Libya “at the right time”, stressing that there are no other demands for releasing any other prisoner in Jordan.

As for summoning Jordan’s ambassador in Yemen, Judeh said the move was a “preventive measure”. The minister explained that the envoy had already asked for a vacation to spend in Amman, “but we accelerated his return”.