Local

AMMAN — Eradicating terrorism requires extraordinary regional and international efforts to diminish its sources of finance and thwart any attempts to foster its spread, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said on Thursday.

Hammad’s remarks came in a meeting with Chinese Anti-Terrorism Commissioner and Deputy Minister of National Security Liu Yuejin, which addressed advancing joint cooperation, specifically in combatting terrorism, extremism and crime, as well as creating partnership in this arena, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The top official said that terrorist organisations and incubators directly affect states’ stability and security systems.

The meeting also touched on regional developments and their implications. Hammad highlighted the pressure that the influx of Syrian refugees places on the Kingdom’s economic resources, stressing that Jordan “cannot slam the door in the face of those who seek safety and security”.  

Hammad also spoke of Jordanian-Chinese ties, stating the government values Chinese investments in the Kingdom, and expressing the Interior Ministry’s readiness to better serve the Chinese community living in the Kingdom and eliminate obstacles hindering mutual cooperation. 

Hammad commended the two countries’ coordination in various fields, Petra added.

The Chinese official said his visit seeks to further joint cooperation programmes, highlighting the strategic partnerships formed in 2015, mainly in the fields of 

capacity building, counterterrorism, security, economy and investment.

Liu extended an official invitation to the interior minister to visit China and acquaint himself with China’s experience in fighting terrorism and extremism.

AMMAN — Different names and quantities of cereals found in cuneiform texts from 4,000 years ago served as data for a Danish scholar to arrive at an understanding of a specific word: Burrum.

“Burrum is an Akkadian word found in cuneiform texts from the Jazirah of Syria and Iraq, dating from 2000BC, with an unclear meaning,” Rune Rattenborg from the University of Durham told the Jordan Times in a recent e-mail interview. He also noted: “We know a great deal about cereal crops from this time, both from extensive archaeo-botanical research on ancient plant remains found during excavations, and also from cuneiform texts, where the crops that people cultivated are often mentioned.”

The Akkadian words for cereals like barley, various strands of wheat, chickpeas, lentils, peas and pens are well known, Rattenborg said, adding reference to vetch (Arabic biqiyah or kirsannah) can also be found which was used to feed animals, especially cattle. 

“Such fodder was still used in Jordan for cattle until very recently,” he said.

The word burrum traditionally was interpreted as a type of wheat, but his review of the texts, specifically corpus in which burrum appeared, led him to believe that word probably means “cleansed grain”, most likely barley grains whose husks have been removed. 

“I demonstrate that there are comparable words in Arabic and Hebrew similar to the Akkadian word burrum, with a meaning of ‘cleaning’ or ‘hand-picking’ grains. This interpretation fits better with the picture provided by the cuneiform texts that I was looking at,” Rattenborg explained, adding that “the study came about as a discussion of already-published cuneiform texts and a review of other research on plants and plant use in the Middle Bronze Age Jazīrah.”

Rattenborg wrote his doctoral thesis in archaeology on agriculture and food in the Bronze Age Middle East and hopes to do further research on these matters in the future.

AMMAN — Trade in the real estate sector in the Kingdom during the first nine months of 2019 totalled JD3.183 billion, marking a 19-per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2018, according to Department of Statistics (DoS) figures. 

In September of this year, the trade rate in the real estate market totalled JD394 million, with a 10-per cent decrease compared to September last year, according to the statistics. 

The first nine months of this year saw the highest real estate sales for Iraqis, who ranked first with the total purchases of 511 properties, followed by the Saudis, who purchased 491 properties and the third rank went to Gazans at 387 purchases. 

The Jordan Housing Developers Association (JHDA) President Zuhair Omari told The Jordan Times on Thursday that Iraqi nationals have been the top real estate purchasers since 2003, followed by Saudi nationals. 

“However, the new part is the third rank for the Gazans, which is directly related to the government’s decision to allow Gazans to buy real estate, which now seems to have paid off,” Omari said.

He added that even though the number of properties purchased by Iraqis and Saudis and their values are less than in previous years, the rankings remain the same nonetheless. 

In September this year, DoS data showed that Iraqis purchased a total of 81 properties, Saudis purchased 66 and Gazans bought 62. 

In regard to value, Iraqis also ranked first at an investment rate of JD7.34 million, 38 per cent of the total estimated value of non-Jordanian real estate purchases in the Kingdom. 

Gazans’ investment rate stood at JD2.84 million, or 15 per cent, and Saudis ranked third in regards to value, at an investment rate of around JD2.67 million, amounting to 14 per cent of the total non-Jordanian real estate purchases.

In the first nine months of the year, the revenues of the Department of Land and Survey amounted to JD164.71 million, showing a decrease of 18 per cent compared to the same period in 2018, according to the DoS figures. 

AMMAN — The Jordanian Iraqi Joint Committee on Thursday concluded its 28th session in Amman, led by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri and the Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals Saleh Jubouri. 

The committee’s two-day meeting resulted in the creation of mechanisms to facilitate the enhancement of bilateral cooperation in economic fields as well as ways to make the most of agreements and understandings, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The session began with a meeting of the technical committee, under the leadership of Secretary General of the Trade Ministry Yousef Shamali and Deputy of the Iraqi Trade Ministry Walid Hilou. 

The panel expressed its “satisfaction” with the level of cooperation between the two countries and highlighted the importance of “moving forward with confident strides” towards the enhancement of relations. 

“Our meeting today is a new addition to the several accomplishments made in the past 27 sessions of the joint committee, that have contributed greatly to bolstering economic and trade relations,” Hammouri said. 

The minister shed light on a number of “vital” agreements that were reached during the committee’s 27th session, most notably, a bundle of understandings and projects that were announced during an official meeting of the countries’ prime ministers in February. 

“We look forward to the visit of a technical taskforce to Jordanian factories to begin applying Iraqi Cabinet decision No. 25 to the various products and goods listed in the agreement and rejuvenating operations at the Karameh-Turaibil border crossing, as it is now open around the clock,” he added. 

Hammouri said the visit would also “expand on the use of the door-to-door mechanism for merchandise”, and help further the Iraqi side’s ability to benefit from the discount on handling fees for Iraqi imports through the Aqaba Port. 

The minister expressed hopes for the swift conclusion of procedures ahead of establishing an Iraqi-Jordanian economic city, noting that the products and industries within would benefit from exemptions and the advantages offered by Jordan’s trade agreements with foreign countries.

The estate would also provide access to markets which cater to a total of 1 billion people with “great purchasing power and no technical or customs-related restrictions”. 

The Kingdom is exerting all its efforts and capabilities towards the reconstruction of Iraq and the development of Iraqi human resources in an array of fields via a training plan provided by Jordan, the minister said. 

Jordan is scheduled to participate with a high-level delegation of private and public sector representatives in the 46th round of Iraq’s international exhibition in November, Petra said.

For his part, Jubouri called on continued implementation of agreements to boost bilateral economic cooperation. 

As part of agreements reached during the session, Jordan will provide Iraq with a list of companies and factories, their product lists and annual production capacities, which will highlight the items meant for export. 

Jordan has also requested the stipulation of a quota for Jordanian products that would be exempted from Iraqi fees, with the Iraqi side promising to study the request and respond as soon as possible. 

The Iraqi side commended the 75 per cent discount offered to Iraqi products imported through the Aqaba Port, Petra said. 

The meetings were attended by Jordanian Ambassador to Iraq Muntaser Oqleh and Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Safia Suhail, alongside representatives from the two countries’ private sectors.

AMMAN — Authorities uncovered three alleged violations against the Disi Water Conveyance Project’s water supply pipeline, including diverting water from the carrier into water tankers. 

The violations have been reported in the Qatraneh, Hassa, Damkhi and Suwaga areas, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation said on Thursday in a statement reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Two three-inch pipelines and one two-inch pipeline have been detected along the Disi, one of the Kingdom’s strategic water resources, the source said, noting that the illegal fixtures were dismantled and an investigation is under way.

The ministry said the national campaign to end all forms of water theft and violations is still ongoing, urging the public to cooperate with authorities by reporting violations on water resources and networks.

The ministry has repeatedly urged the public to be vigilant and ask water tanker drivers to show them verification of the source of water. People receiving water from private wells must obtain a receipt showing the source and cost of the water.

The ministry said owners of water tankers must adhere to regulations that ensure water safety, including cleanliness of the tanker and pipes. Water tankers must be green, with the words “drinking water” visibly printed.

During the first six months of this year, the ministry recorded 61 violations and acts of sabotage over the Disi project’s facilities, despite state-assigned patrols to protect the project’s components.

The project was launched in 2013 and water now flows to Amman via a pipeline.  Water passes through several water stations on its way through Maan, Tafileh, Karak, Madaba and finally to Amman, and is then pumped further north via the national carrier.

Under the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Law, those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, pollute water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence will be jailed for up to five years and fined up to JD7,000. 

In addition, violators of WAJ water and wastewater projects can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to JD5,000.

AMMAN — Despite several attempts in the past few years to manage white ants on olive trees in Kufranjah district, the insect continues to cause widespread damage, affecting fruit-bearing trees, according to the Ajloun Governorate Council. 

Pests and fruit-tree diseases must be resolved before the “little critters” spread across Ajloun, said Sami Freihat, member of the Ajloun Governorate Council and Head of the Ajloun Agricultural Committee, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Supervision over plant nurseries and fruit orchards must be intensified, he noted. 

“Those insects have been reported to have caused serious damage to local fruit trees. The problem becomes most serious when the receptacles [the part of the branch where flowers and fruit grow] of the plants get destroyed and eventually dry up,” Freihat said.

He added that farmers in the area call for immediate action to control termites with soil treatments, insecticide, comprehensive control operations and by placing the highest priority on resolving the issue. Previous insect control campaigns organised by Ministry of Agriculture have had “evident impact” on minimising the issue.

Ihab, a farmer in Ajloun, said termites have harmed the harvest, which many families rely on. Spraying campaigns must be organised to protect the fruits, especially from Loquat trees, which are considered to be one of the main sources of revenue, he told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

“Identification of areas that will be sprayed is crucial, since white ants and other insects have reached other areas, such as Rajeb district,” Ihab added.

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday called on Turkey to stop its offensive against Syria and resort to dialogue to "solve all issues".

In a tweet on his official Twitter account, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said: "We urge Turkey to stop attack on Syria and solve all issues through dialogue, within international law."

"We condemn all actions that infringe on Syria’s sovereignty. Political solution that preserves unity of Syria, ensures rights of Syrians & defeats terrorism guarantees security of all," said Safadi.

Turkey has launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria, with intensive bombardment followed by a ground offensive made possible by the withdrawal of US troops, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday the start of the attack on Twitter and soon after jets and artillery targeted Kurdish positions along the full width of the border, sending thousands of civilians fleeing their homes.

That was followed late in the evening by the beginning of a ground operation, the Turkish defence ministry said.

US President Donald Trump warned that if the Turkish operation was not conducted "in as humane a way as possible", he would "wipe out" the country's economy.

The assault had seemed inevitable since he announced on Sunday a military pullback from the border, but the attack triggered international condemnation and an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council which was set for Thursday.

The Arab League said it was convening an emergency meeting in Cairo on October 12.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 16 members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia were killed in the early hours of the Turkish offensive.

In the face of the onslaught, Kurdish authorities announced a general mobilisation, urging all civilians to "head to the border with Turkey... to resist during this delicate historical moment".

Kurdish leaders said they would hold their erstwhile US ally and the whole international community responsible for any "humanitarian catastrophe".
In Ras Al Ain, Kurdish-led security forces set up checkpoints and stockpiled tyres to set alight to blur the vision of Turkish military pilots, an AFP correspondent reported.

Ras Al Ain was one of the places from which US troops withdrew on Monday.

AMMAN — Jordan ranked as the 7th most competitive Arab economy according to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report 2019, which was published on Wednesday. 

The Kingdom's performance saw an improvement of three points compared to its 2018 ranking, ranking 70th on the global index, according to the report. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the regional rankings at 25th globally, followed by Qatar (29th) and Saudi Arabia (36th), the report stated. Oman, Lebanon and Yemen witnessed drops in their performance. 

In the report, Singapore was listed as the world's most competitive economy with a score of 84.8 (+1.3 points) during 2019, while the US remained the most competitive large economy in the world, ranking 2nd on the global index.

The WEF report said that the Arab world has made significant improvements in the ICT sector, as many Arab countries have built a sound infrastructure. 

The World Bank also listed Jordan among 20 countries whose "ease of doing business" score has improved, according to a ranking published on its website at the end of September.

Areas of improvement for Jordan include obtaining credit, paying taxes and resolving insolvency, according to the report.

Jordan expanded access to credit after the credit bureau began offering credit scores to banks and other financial institutions, the report said.

It also introduced a new law on secure transactions, which regulates functional equivalents to loans secured with movable property, such as financial leases and fiduciary transfer of title.

Economist Mazen Marji said on Wednesday that the indicators that have shown improvement are still a part of the big issues facing the economy, noting that the Kingdom should continue to work on the larger issues of debt, unemployment, poverty, budget and trade balance deficiencies, in addition to corruption and tax evasion.

Marji told The Jordan Times over the phone that all these problems hinder the national economy's growth and should be addressed to improve the score and rank of the Kingdom on international indexes. 

"We need to work more towards achieving progress in the main indicators. When these are addressed and resolved, the economy will grow better," he concluded. 

Earlier at the launch of the World Bank report, economist Husam Ayesh told The Jordan Times that the government works continuously to improve Jordan's business environment in order to attract investments and boost the economy.

Ayesh said that processing taxes has become more efficient, regulations governing credit have improved over time and many other indicators have shown progress, but Jordan must work hard in order to see rise in the country's ranking.

"We need to significantly improve more indicators due to their importance in economic performance and attracting investors, which will ultimately ease the transition into an economy that is able to offer advanced investment and a safe environment for all investors," Ayesh said at the time. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, on Wednesday received Head of Chechen Republic in the Russian Federation Ramzan Kadyrov.

King Abdullah asked Kadyrov to convey his well wishes to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing the deep-rooted relations between Jordan and Russia and his keenness to expand cooperation in various fields, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Hashim Bin Al Hussein, His Majesty’s chief Royal councillor, and His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, His Majesty and Kadyrov discussed means to enhance cooperation, as well as a number of issues of mutual concern, the statement said.

The King stressed Jordan’s commitment to its historic and religious role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship.

His Majesty congratulated the Chechen president on the inauguration of the Prophet Mohammad Mosque, Europe’s largest mosque, in Shali, Chechnya, according to the statement.

Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, Russian Ambassador to Jordan Gleb Desyatnikov, and the accompanying delegation attended the meeting.

The head of the Chechen Republic arrived in Jordan earlier on Wednesday and visited the tombs of King Hussein, King Abdullah I and King Talal.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by Head of Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, on Wednesday inaugurated the visitor centre at the site of the Blessed Tree in Safawi, where Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, rested on his way to Syria.

The Blessed Tree, estimated to be 1,500 years old, is a religious and historical site in Jordan affiliated with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, while a Royal committee that administers and restores Islamic shrines oversees the site, according to a Royal Court statement.

King Abdullah gave the head of the Chechen Republic a tour of the pond adjacent to the site of the Blessed Tree, the statement said.

After inaugurating the site, His Majesty and President Kadyrov attended a ceremony marking the occasion, attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hashim, His Majesty’s chief Royal councillor, and Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, and chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, as well as leading members of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.

Prince Hashim delivered remarks, thanking His Majesty for attending the ceremony and for supporting efforts to maintain the Blessed Tree site, as well as other historical and religious sites around the Kingdom.

The site of the Blessed Tree is a historical and religious landmark that should be publicised and given the attention and care it deserves, the Prince said, noting that Prophet Mohammad, in his youth and on the way to Syria, rested in the tree’s shade, where he met the Christian monk Bahira, who foretold his role as a prophet.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi attended the ceremony.