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AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal marks his 56th birthday on Friday.

Born on October 11, 1963, Prince Feisal received his elementary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman and continued his schooling in the United Kingdom.

In 1971, Prince Feisal went to the United States to complete his secondary education in Massachusetts and in Washington, DC, according to a statement from the Royal Court.

The prince enrolled in Brown University in 1981, graduating in 1985 with a bachelor’s of science in electronic engineering.

In 1998, Prince Feisal graduated with a master’s degree in management from the London Business School.

During his years as an undergraduate, Prince Feisal also trained as a pilot, obtaining his pilot licence in 1982 and receiving his wings, after which he completed basic and advanced fast-jet training courses in the UK.

Prince Feisal served as an Air Force Commander from 2001-2004, before a Royal Decree was issued on September 20, 2004, appointing him as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army.

After a career of outstanding military service, a Royal Decree named Prince Feisal Adviser to His Majesty and Chairman of the National Policies Council. Following this appointment, Prince Feisal left the military to focus on this new role, but he still retains the honorary rank of lieutenant general.

Prince Feisal is also the chairman of the board of trustees of the King Abdullah II Centre for Excellence, and chairman of the higher organisational committee of the Special Operation Forces Exhibition.

The prince also heads the Royal Water Commission, and is president of the Jordan Olympic Committee and chairman of Jordan Motorsport.

Prince Feisal is the founder and chairman of the Generations For Peace organisation and the chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia’s Peace Through Sport Committee. 

In addition, the prince has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2010, and was elected as a member of its executive board in June of this year, as well as a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile senator, the statement said.

Prince Feisal has represented Jordan at a number of Arab and international fora.

He has six children: Their Royal Highnesses Princess Ayah, Prince Omar, Princess Sara, Princess Aisha, Prince Abdullah, and Prince Muhammad.

On January 4, 2014, Prince Feisal married Her Royal Highness Princess Zeina.

AMMAN — The Arab Potash Company's (APC) profits grew by 36 per cent during the first nine months of 2019, amounting to around JD124 million.  

APC’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Jamal Al Sarayrah said that the company has produced a historical record of 1.8 million tonnes of potash.

Attending the launching ceremony of a charity society in Karak, Sarayrah said that the APC has begun exporting red granular potash to Brazil and Australia as per its efforts to open new markets and diversify its customer base, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In previous remarks, Sarayrah said that entering these new markets will enable the company to sell its products at higher prices, which will have a positive impact on the APC's profits.

The company announced in August that its net profit after taxes, provisions and royalties amounted to JD78.2 million during the first six months of 2019, recording an increase of 48 per cent from the JD52.7 million profits achieved during the same period last year.

Sarayrah attributed the increase in profits primarily to a 113-per cent growth in operating profits over the same period last year.

APC President and CEO Maen Nsour said that during the first half of 2019, APC produced a historical record of 1.28 million tonnes of potash compared with 1.21 million tonnes produced during the same period in 2018, while sales during this period also reached a record high of 1.24 million tonnes — an increase of 3.6 per cent over the same period last year.

Nsour added that the company has started producing new grades of potash to be exported to new, promising markets such as South America and countries in the Far East.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday called on Turkey to "immediately" end its offensive on Syria, voicing Jordan's rejection of the violation against  Syria's sovereignty.

Co-chairing the fourth edition of the Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Safadi urged Turkey to stop the escalation in Syria and resort to dialogue and international law in resolving all issues. 

The forum was hosted by Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, who will replace Mogherni in the EU post, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.  

"The Syrian crisis should end and there is no military solution to the ongoing crisis," Safadi said, stressing the need for a political solution that can safeguard Syria's integrity and end the large-scale of its people.  

"The refugees are victims and it is the responsibility of us all, not only the host countries, to provide them with decent living conditions," Safadi said.

As for the Palestinian issue, the minister said that the Israeli occupation is “unjust, evil and immoral” under the international law and conventions, adding that the entire region’s peace and security is totally linked to ending the occupation. 

“The illegitimate colonies, the inhuman siege, the illegal annexation of lands and attempts to change the Islamic and Christian Arab identity of Jerusalem would only lead to more conflicts and violence in the region,” Safadi added.

Safadi also said that the security of the Arabian Gulf is a main pillar for international security, condemning attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the statement said.

Safadi said that the Kingdom will continue being a reliable partner in all anti-terrorism efforts and in combating hate speech, discrimination and extremism, regardless of their sources.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has sent a cable to King Felipe VI of Spain on the occasion of his country’s national day. In the cable, King Abdullah expressed his well wishes to King Felipe VI, and wished the people of Spain continued progress and prosperity, according to a Royal Court statement.

AMMAN — President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (APU) Atef Tarawneh on Thursday condemned the Turkish assault on the northeastern border with Syria and called for an immediate halt to the aggression.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Tarawneh expressed concern about the escalations “that will lead the whole region to war, and the results of which cannot be predicted”.

The APU president urged Turkey to “preserve historic and geographical ties”, which must be considered before taking an “irresponsible” step.

Tarawneh, speaking on behalf of the APU, exhorted the UN, global powers, parliaments and unions to fulfil their responsibilities, noting that the Arab League must take a unified stance on the issue in the face of joint challenges.

AMMAN — Director General of the Royal Medical Services (RMS) Maj. Gen. Shawkat Tamimi on Thursday announced that the 10th international RMS conference will be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), between October 20 and 23.

During a meeting with several representatives of supporting companies, Tamimi said that the biennial conference supports the health education system in Jordan and the entire region since it attracts many participants and hosts experts from 50 countries.

The RMS director said the “effective” and ongoing participation of medical and non-medical institutions is a main contributor to the success of the conference. It includes an exhibition held in a 5,000-square metre area, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — Jordan ranked 2nd in the region behind Kuwait in the World Population Review website's 2019 categorisation of the most obese countries in the world, published in early October. 

The obesity rate in Jordan stands at 35.5 per cent, according to the website, while in Kuwait it is 37.9 per cent. The least obese Arab countries, according to the index, are Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, Djibouti and Yemen. 

"As you can notice in the report, the most obese Arab countries are Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and these countries share similar local dishes, especially in regards to the amount of fats and oils involved in their making," Clinical Dietician Nader Al Sunna told The Jordan Times on Thursday over the phone.

Al Sunna said that food, whether junk or local cuisine, is the main factor behind obesity in Middle Eastern countries in particular, followed by the lack of a healthy lifestyle as well as long working hours, which prevent many from exercising, even if they have the desire to do so. 

"The terrain and layout of the Kingdom also is not suitable for activities such as walking or running; there aren’t many parks, streets or sidewalks made for the specific purpose," Al Sunna said.

He cautioned against misconceptions in resolving this issue, noting that people tend to resort to random diets or barely eat in an attempt to lose weight.

Regarding diet trends, in the region, he said: “One needs to be supervised by an expert before following any sort of diet." 

The dietician mentioned that besides food intake, other medical factors could play a role in obesity. 

Amal Damra, paediatric and newborn consultant, said that in regards to obesity in children, she noticed that active lifestyles are almost nonexistent, with “mothers relying on junk food for 70 or 80 per cent of their children’s diets”.

"The mothers I usually meet with have barely any awareness of the importance of feeding their children fruits and vegetables, relying a lot on fats and carbohydrates, with the lowest risk factor being genetics in this case," Damra said. 

She advises parents to reduce the time their children spend on devices, as many children watch videos on their iPads and tablets while snacking continuously, and suggests instead that parents enrol them in gyms and sports centres.

"As for junk food, they should not reduce it all at once but gradually, once a week then once every two weeks until it becomes preferably once a month," Damra added. 

AMMAN — The Transforming Refugee Education towards Excellence (TREE) programme, aimed at tackling the challenges encountered in primary and secondary education in Jordan, has been launched by Save the Children Jordan and the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL). 

The programme is being run in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, Community Jameel and the UAE-based Dubai Cares, a global philanthropic organisation, according to a statement from Save the Children Jordan.

TREE is one of Save the Children’s many educational programmes and uses innovative methodologies and tools designed to benefit teachers on a personal and professional level, the statement said. After completing the training, teachers can apply these tools in the classroom to help students improve academically.

This pilot programme is intended to benefit 745,000 students in public schools across the Kingdom, according to the statement. Teachers will contribute to the formation of a “unique” model that partners will be able to up-scale to reach other regions.

“This cooperation aims to protect children and their education by building the capacity of teachers and improving the educational process in public schools and by focusing on the social and emotional aspects of teachers to transform the school environment into a friendly learning environment," Executive Director of Save the Children Jordan Diala Al Khamra was quoted in the statement as saying.

M.S. Vijay Kumar, Executive Director of J-WEL, said in the statement: "We hope that this collaborative initiative will equip educators with tools and techniques to strengthen their well-being and capabilities, leading to positive learning opportunities for children. We look forward to this work being a model for the region and elsewhere."

The TREE programme is part of Save the Children Jordan’s wider mission to ensure all children have access that to that quality education; other initiatives include the “Every Child Learning” programme in partnership with Pearson, which provides access to digital learning and remedial classes as well as continuous training and support for teachers, the statement read. 

Another educational programme is the “Enabling Access to Educational Pathways and Safer Learning Environments” project, run in partnership with the European Commission with the aim of enabling vulnerable, hard-to-reach, out-of-school children across Jordan.

Save the Children Jordan is an independent national organisation operating in the Kingdom since 1974, focusing on the most vulnerable children and their families, according to the statement. Save the Children Jordan works through its crews and staff on the field and in crisis locations. In its various services, the association reached more than 455,000 Jordanian children and families in 2018.

Community Jameel works across major fields of development: Livelihoods, the arts, education, health, climate and evidence. Community Jameel is active worldwide in directly implementing programmes and in collaborating with major international institutions and grassroots organisations, according to the statement.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society, on Thursday attended the launch of the 16th Jordanian Chemistry Conference at the University of Jordan (UJ). 

The princess also inaugurated the expansion of the chemistry department at the university, the implementation of which was financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

During the event, UJ President Abdul Karim Qudah said the conference, organised in cooperation with the Jordanian Chemical Society (JCS), was held in “continuation of that the UJ’s journey of achievement and its commitment to graduating generations of youth that excel in various scientific fields”.

Qudah lauded the chemistry department’s teaching faculty as “highly qualified scientists who have graduated from the best universities from around the world”, adding that the department ranked among the top 500 globally in 2019, according to QS World University Rankings. 

Head of the conference, Fadwa Odeh, noted that the event is an interactive platform for communication between chemists from various sectors to achieve further scientific and social progress. 

“The conference seeks to connect scientific research with the needs of the industry, introduce the academic community to challenges within the chemical industries in Jordan, and offer a platform for the exchange of opinions and solutions,” Odeh added. 

At the end of the inauguration ceremony, the princess honoured those who have supported UJ’s chemistry department and the JCS, as well as senior members of the teaching staff. 

AMMAN — Events in recognition of World Mental Health Day are under way in Irbid until October 15, with this year’s theme focusing on suicide prevention, according to a statement from Action Against Hunger.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), almost 800,000 people around the world die from suicide each year. The result of suicide impacts friends, family and colleagues. 

Much still needs to be done in order to prevent suicide and to build support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. 

On Thursday, Action Against Hunger organised the “Embrace Life” race, with support from the Ministry of Health, WHO and the Directorate of Health in Irbid, according to the statement.

This was held with the participation of university students (from Al Yarmouk, Jadara, Irbid National University, Al Balqa Applied University and Jordan University of Science and Technology), youth centres, sports clubs, refugees, community-based organisations, community members and international non-governmental organisations who took part in the 2,500-metre race. 

Several sessions also followed the race inside the King Abdullah II Park to help spread awareness on the prevention of suicide, positive coping mechanisms for mental health challenges and services available for people in need of mental health support, the statement said.

Activities are implemented as part the organisation’s multi-sectoral water, sanitation and hygiene and Mental Health intervention with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD) and funded by the European Union’s Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis (the MADAD fund). This project is conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Health, concluded the statement.