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AMMAN — The German embassy in Amman on Tuesday celebrated German unity and 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall with a reception for invited guests from the Royal Court, the Jordanian Government, Lower House and the Senate as well as partners and friends.

German Ambassador to Jordan Birgitta Maria Siefker-Eberle highlighted in her speech the value of international cooperation and multilateralism, according to an embassy statement.

Conflicts in the region, she said, “are urgently waiting for multilateral engagement and answers, not for a walls-up policy”. 

Germany is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the statement said. 

During the UN General Assembly, the country organised an “Alliance for Multilateralism” event together with France and other partners. 

The ambassador said more than 50 Foreign Ministers, including Jordan’s Ayman Safadi, participated.

“Jordan has weight and longstanding experience in international negotiations and multilateralism, and is thus an ideal partner in this effort,” she said. 

“Our bilateral cooperation with Jordan has reached an unprecedented peak in the last two, three years and we are proud of that. This is reflected in the intensity of high-ranking visits and visits on the business level from Germany to Jordan, as well as in the number of German tourists to Jordan, which doubled in the last two years,” she continued. 

Only three weeks ago, His Majesty King Abdullah travelled to Berlin, where he met with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We are also celebrating 60 years of Jordanian-German development cooperation this year. Our cooperation has always been geared towards giving access to as many Jordanians as possible and later also to Syrian refugees: First, access to water, then to education including vocational training and now also to employment. 

“So far, the water supply for 2.8 million Jordanians and Syrians could be improved with our support, 1.4 million people could be provided with cleaner drinking water, 37 new schools have been built and we are now starting a new programme over 100 million euros for further school construction,” the statement quoted Siefker-Eberle as saying.

Germany has “firmly established” itself as the second-largest bilateral donor to Jordan. 

In governmental talks this week, a “record” volume of 729.4 million euros, including budget support for water and education amounting to 400 million euros, will be commissioned, the statement read. 

Siefker-Eberle concluded: “We all acknowledge and are thankful for the great effort Jordan is undertaking in hosting a huge number of Syrian refugees, and this now for eight years. We have therefore stepped up our cooperation considerably.”

To visualise 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, an installation created by the Jordanian artist Khaldoun Douad and the Berlin-based artist Witold Stypa was displayed, according to the statement. 

The artwork was created during the Rowaq Art Week from May 26 until June 3 in Fuheis and highlights the close relations between Germany and Jordan.

AMMAN — The newly amended school calendar for the 2019/2020 school year was approved by the Central Planning Committee of the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, giving students only a week-long winter break.

With the conclusion of the teachers' one-month strike, the first day of public school was on October 6, forcing the Ministry of Education to create an amended scholastic calendar to compensate for missed classes in public schools. 

According to the new calendar, the first term's final exams will begin on January 22, 2020 and end on February 8, 2020, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In order to make up for lost class time, public school students will be given only one week of winter break, starting on February 9 and ending on February 13 the ministry said. 

Second-term classes will begin on February 16, 2020, according to the updated ministry calendar. The final exams for the second semester will now be from June 4-22, with June 30 as the deadline for submitting marks and students' certificates, according to Petra.

The first day of summer vacation is set to for July 1.

The ministry has adjusted the 2019/2020 school year calendar as per article 40 of the Education Law No. 3 of 1994 and its amendments, which stipulate that the minimum number of study days should range from 195-200, Petra said.

Private, UNRWA-run and military schools, as well as the night-school programme for Syrian refugees will keep the ministry's old calendar, as they began school on September 1, the ministry stated.  

The amended scholastic calendar will be circulated to all education directorates, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Education Ministry Spokesperson Walid Jallad said that the General School Certificate Exam (Tawjihi) schedule will be released separately as usual, noting that the scholastic calendar usually does not include the Tawjihi schedule, according to Petra.

Tawjihi's 2019 session started on June 11 and finished on July 1. 

AMMAN — The Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have renewed agreements to manage Crowne Plaza/Amman, Crowne Plaza Resort & Spa/Dead Sea, and Holiday Inn Resort/Dead Sea for the next 10 years. 

The agreements were signed by Kholoud Saqqaf, SSIF CEO and vice chairperson of the Investment Board, and Pascal Gauvin, IHG Chief Operating Officer of India, Middle East and Africa, announcing the continuation of operating the three properties alongside the others owned by the Fund under IHG management —  Crowne Plaza/Petra and InterContinental/Aqaba, a statement from the SSIF said on Tuesday. 

The ceremony was attended by Nidal Bataineh, Minister of Labour, Hazem Al Rahahleh, Social Security Corporation Director General and Haitham Majali, the chairman of the National Corporation for Tourism Development. 

SSIF CEO said that the Fund recognises that tourism is a major driver in national economic growth and job creation and contributes to the sustainable development of the local communities. 

SSIF is a major investor in the tourism sector with a portfolio that totalled JD250 million, and is willing to expand its direct and indirect investments, according to the statement.

Saqqaf attributed this “strategic direction” to the sector’s immense potential to develop into a “full-fledged, competitive industry” that provides better services to tourists, according to the statement.

The SSIF CEO added that the Fund is “delighted” to strengthen its strategic partnership with high-profile international partners such as IHG as both parties witnessed a significant growth in this industry and in the capabilities of the manpower to deliver excellent services that adhere to the high standards, the statement said.

 “We are honoured and extremely happy to be renewing our crucial and successful partnership with the Fund. As we join hands for another 10-year term, we must feel proud of the results achieved together in terms of boosting the local economy, the tourism industry and most importantly in raising the percentage of Jordanian employees to 95 per cent in the hotels owned by the Fund,” Gauvin was quoted in the statement as saying. 

The Fund invests directly in the tourism sector through owning a number of four and five star hotels that are managed by IHG.  These hotels created around 1,400 jobs for local residents. The Fund also owns stakes in a number of leading companies in this sector in Amman, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, according to the statement.

“To pay the local community back”, these hotels participate in and sponsor many CSR initiatives. ‎One of these initiatives‎ is the "Holiday Inn/Dead Sea Academy", read the statement. 

The academy provides ‎an opportunity for youth from surrounding villages to undergo training in food and beverage ‎services, food production and housekeeping to be hired by these hotels. The training programme ‎also includes IT skills, English language and soft skills. The number of trainees and graduates is 80 young women and men from the Jordan Valley, according to the statement.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture is looking to intensify its interests in the fish production and sales sector, hoping to create new job opportunities and generate greater income.

Deputy General Secretary of Animal Resources Ali Anu Nokta said in a press conference on Tuesday that on average, the Kingdom produces 265 tonnes of fish from fishing in the sea, 400 tonnes from dams and the Jordan River, and 1330 tonnes from fish farms each year.

He said that the private sector, mostly represented in fish farms, has “extensive experience that could be learned from”, adding that the reason is “their being able to afford the machinery needed to produce huge amounts of fish”.

According to a recent survey published by the Department of Statistics, fish farms produced 1,300 tonnes in 2018, while maritime fishing produced only 264 tonnes.

Saeb Halsa, former head of the fishing-monitoring department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times that “private companies, both Jordanian and non-Jordanian, own 99 per cent of the farms”.

The ministry now plans on creating an agricultural society specifically for fish production, consisting of stations with the same machinery used in privately-owned farms, according to Abu Nokta.

“Fish production is a promising sector, given that if water and machinery are provided, it does not require much labour or operational costs. Along with the protection offered by the ministry, it should generate high profits at very low costs,” Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Lawrence Majali told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

Locally-produced fish are protected from competition, he said, as it is prohibited to import similar varieties.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Labour is expected to announce the addition of new professions to the list of those strictly reserved for Jordanians.

There are currently 19 professions closed for guest labour. Additionally, there are set quotas for foreign labour in open professions, including 40 per cent in gas stations.

"The Ministry of Labour will announce the professions in the coming days," Labour Ministry Spokesperson Mohammed Khatib said.

The ministry official said the aim of this decision is to boost Jordanian's enrolment in the labour market.

"Many Jordanians have complained in the past that foreign labourers are taking many jobs, depriving them of their right to work and earn a living," Khatib told The Jordan Times.

"We are constantly inspecting establishments and businesses to ensure that the foreign workers are abiding by their work permits and recently we caught 120 who were in violation of the 2019 Work Permits for Non-Jordanians Regulations," Khatib explained.

The ministry spokesperson said the violators have to pay JD3,000 each in fines and "depending on the case, they can either rectify their situation or get deported from the country".

Last month, Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh announced that the new regulations aim to rectify the status of illegal labourers in the Kingdom.

The minister said new regulations stop the issuance of work permits for guest workers in professions that only accept Jordanians.

Bataineh said labourers found in violation of the new law will "only be given two months to rectify their situation", stressing that "no grace period will be given beyond that deadline".

The minister warned that illegal labourers who do not rectify their situation will be deported immediately and fined.

The minister added that those who do not wish to rectify their situation "are welcome to leave the Kingdom during the two-month period without paying fines or additional fees".

Officials have estimated that approximately 600,000 of the 900,000 foreign labourers in the Kingdom do not have valid working permits.

AMMAN — Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents (JSTA) has alerted citizens to be on guard against “phantom” tourism offices.

A committee composed of relevant experts to solve the problems between service recipients and travel agencies reviewed 820 complaints that JSTA received before June 10, Head of the JSTA Mohammad Samih told the Jordan Times on Tuesday. 

He added that periodical meetings have been held to deal with customers’ queries and grievances.

Several unlicensed tourism agencies have obtained money fraudulently, prompting a control and inspection unit at the JSTA to intensify its oversight tours, he said.

“The law contains an explicit condition that anyone who works in the travel and tourism agencies sector should be affiliated with the JSTA; any operation that does not follow this stipulation is considered in violation of the law and should be referred to the prosecutor general,” Samih added.

Since the beginning of 2019, a total of 213 violators have been caught, 30 warnings were issued and 27 illegal agencies were closed, he said. Meanwhile, 669 travel offices renewed their licences and 35 new offices joined the JSTA during the same period, according to Samih.

The tourism sector is tied to the Kingdom’s reputation; consequently it must be ensured that all licences are renewed properly, the rights of concerned parties are guaranteed and a certain system is being followed, Samih expressed.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday honoured a number of leading Islamic scholars participating in the 18th General Conference of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, in appreciation for their efforts to defend Islamic causes.

At the honouring ceremony, held at Al Husseiniya Palace and attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, 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, King Abdullah bestowed royal medals on a number of scholars and distributed Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought fellowship certificates to others, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty bestowed the King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein Order for Distinction of the First Degree on Abdul Kareem Khalifa, former president of the Jordan Academy of Arabic, in appreciation for his academic writings and his service to the Arabic language.

The King also gave the King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein Order for Distinction of the First Degree to Al Azhar scholar Osama Al Azhari, in recognition of his contributions to Islamic thought, the statement said.

Omar Abboud, the director of the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue in Buenos Aires, received the King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein Order for Distinction of the First Degree, in appreciation for his role in promoting interfaith dialogue.

Hamza Yusuf Hanson, co-founder and director of Zaytuna College in the US, also received the King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein Order for Distinction of the First Degree for his contributions to Islamic thought.

The King distributed institute fellowship certificates to Mahmoud Sidqi Al Habbash, the supreme judge of Palestine, Grand Mufti of Chechnya Salah Mezhiev and Mohammad Al Bouti, president of the Union of Muslim Scholars of the Levant, according to the statement.

In remarks at the ceremony on behalf of the scholars participating in the 18th General Conference of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Al Azhar Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa thanked His Majesty for hosting the conference, commending the institute’s role in promoting peace, the statement said.

Founded in 1980, the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought includes 120 scholars and thought leaders from over 36 countries around the world.

Seventy scholars from 30 Arab, Muslim and foreign countries, representing various schools of Islamic jurisprudence, are participating in the institute’s three-day conference.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh attended Monday’s ceremony.

AMMAN — The IT sector’s programming and mobile application divisions each generated more than $189 million in profits during 2018, according to a study published by the Information and Communications Technology Association (INT@J).

The two subsectors are the most profitable in the Kingdom’s IT sector, encompassing Jordanian-made mobile applications, websites and games.

The sector in total made $2.2 billion last year, marking a 4 per cent increase when compared to 2017, the study said. 

“This is why coming up with inventions that hold a Jordanian patent is important, not only for economic growth but also for the benefit of young Jordanians who need a push to come up with something amazing,” said Layla Awad, a former INT@J trainer, in an interview with The Jordan Times.

She added: “It comes as a surprise to some people that some of our young men and women have world-class talents, working with big names such as Google and Facebook.”

Sales of computer, mobile, and telecommunication infrastructure licenses generated $137 million, making it the third most profitable subsector, the study said.

“The great thing about these results is that they indicate that not only the talents but also the infrastructure and the logistics of the sector are improving, creating an altogether great IT future for Jordan,” Mohsen Ibrahim, a former youth programme director at the Ministry Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

AMMAN — The government is ready to enhance cooperation opportunities between Jordan and Qatar, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said, stressing the importance of benefitting from the joint expertise of monitoring agencies in both countries. 

Meeting with the President of the Qatari State Audit Bureau Sheikh Bandar bin Mohamed bin Saud Al Thani, Razzaz referred to the government’s keenness to boost the autonomy of the Audit Bureau to enhance its role in monitoring and maintaining public money, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, attended by Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Sami Daoud and Audit Bureau President Abed Kharabsheh, the premier said that the government is also keen to expand the authorities of the bureau to include administrative monitoring. 

Sheikh Bandar said both countries’ bureaus have made great strides in the fields of cooperation, training and exchanging knowledge, and voiced the aspiration to sign a memorandum of understating to further enhance cooperation in performance assessment, risk management and data analysis. 

Daoud said the culture of performance assessment has been enhanced at several institutions and departments that refer to the Audit Bureau to rectify violations, according to Petra.

Kharabsheh stated the bureau wants to boost cooperation and partnership with monitoring authorities in Arab countries to set a clear strategy to refine the work of these agencies and empower them to better tackle challenges. 

In a separate meeting, Senate President Faisal Fayez and Sheikh Bandar stressed the “deep-rooted” relations between Amman and Doha and ways to develop them on all levels, especially in the economic and investment fields. 

Fayez highlighted the important role of audit bureaus in preserving public money, referring to the Jordanian-Qatari cooperation in this field through exchanging expertise and adopting the best international practices, according to Petra.

Sheikh Bandar said his visit to the Kingdom is part of enhancing cooperation and benefitting from the Audit Bureau’s expertise. 

Also on Monday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh met with Sheikh Bandar and highlighted the importance of the independence of audit bureaus to keep them free of constraints. 

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hashim, His Majesty’s chief Royal councillor, on Monday attended the inauguration ceremony of the first international military tournament of tent pegging at the Public Security Department’s (PSD) Knights group command in Zarqa. 

Col. Mashhour Farajat, commander of the Knights group, said that the command has implemented all necessary preparations to guarantee a successful hosting of the tournament that sees the participation of the UK, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Oman, Qatar and Iraq, in addition to Jordan. 

Farajat said that during this three-day event, military teams compete on five patterns in the tent pegging, which are: Picking up tent pegs with spears, swords, relay, rings and lemon cutting, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He noted that this tournament, which is hosted by the PSD in cooperation with the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation and the International Tent Pegging Federation (ITPF), is the “first of its kind” to be organised by the federation.   

PSD Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud, ITPF President Sheikh Mohammed Fairouz, Zarqa Governor Muhammad Smiran and senior PSD officers attended the inauguration ceremony, according to Petra.

The federation is a non-profit organisation that was established in October 2013 in Oman with the aim of propagating the tent pegging sport worldwide, according to its website.