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AMMAN — The Ajloun Forest Reserve, which is home to a diverse array of wild plants and animals,  will  launch an initiative for a 330-metre zip line due to the increasing number  of local and foreign visitors.

The reserve, which has “preserved the woodlands and history of Ajloun over the years”, also has plans to build 20 huts to accommodate 150 guests, as part of its tourist programme, Ajloun Forest Reserve Manager Othman Tawalbeh told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

These developments, he added, are to meet the tourism industry’s high demand.

“The zip line will be above the greenest area in Jordan, which is filled with oak, pine, wild pistachio trees, and wild strawberry bushes,” he said.

Tawalbeh said that the number of visitors this year reached 40,000. 70 per cent of them are Jordanian and the rest are foreigners, who were all “astonished” by the evergreen trees and the biodiversity that Ajloun contains.

This upgrade, he continued, will “benefit the guests who love to come to Ajloun”, especially families, as they will be provided with play areas that have been opened for almost two months now, in addition to expansions in the reserve’s restaurant, which will contribute to the employment of many people.

“The importance of Ajloun Forest Reserve is its strategic location that is home to 575 varieties of wild plants and 105 types of birds and wild animals over 12 square kilometres,” he said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has sent a cable to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the occasion of his country’s national day.

In the cable, King Abdullah expressed his well wishes to the German president, and wished the people of Germany continued progress and prosperity, according to a Royal Court statement. 

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shukri, on Wednesday highlighted the strategic and historic ties between the two countries and the continuation of systematic efforts to develop bilateral relations in all fields, in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives.

In a phone call, the ministers discussed ways to address regional developments in service of the two countries’ and Arab interests, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Safadi and Shukri noted continued efforts to enhance cooperation and coordination as part of a joint vision. 

AMMAN — The Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) and Azbakeya Amman (book treasury) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding  to implement the “Dhad” initiative. 

The initiative, launched by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, takes its name from the distinctive sound and letter unique to the Arabic language.

Under the agreement, a number of book fairs will be organised across the Kingdom, along with campaigns to distribute books, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

CPF CEO Tamam Mango said that the agreement would support efforts to spread a culture of reading and Arabic language. Hussein Yassin, head of Azbakeya Amman, said that cooperation with the CPF would boost local communities' engagement, creating a book-friendly environment.

AMMAN — Deputising for Her Majesty Queen Rania, Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh launched the third edition of Amman Design Week (ADW) on Wednesday at Ras Al Ain Hangar in downtown Amman.

The private launch event, which comes two days before ADW officially opens its doors to the public, was attended by a number of local and regional designers, ADW supporters and design enthusiasts, according to a statement from Her Majesty’s office.                

Under the theme of “Possibilities”, ADW’s third edition will run from October 4 to 12 across the three districts of Ras Al Ain, Jabal Amman and Jabal Al Weibdeh. The event will feature more than 100 events in 55 participating spaces, and showcase the works of more than 250 creators, designers, artisans and students from 13 countries.

Shawarbeh, accompanied by ADW Director Rana Beiruti, toured the Ras Al Ain Hangar exhibition, curated by Head of Architectural Affairs at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Nora Al Sayeh-Holtrop. The exhibition features the work of over 75 local and regional designers in fields including architecture, fashion design, product design, furniture design and graphic design. 

The Ras Al Ain district will also host the student exhibition, consisting of works completed by 33 students from 14 local schools and universities during a six-month mentorship program, as well as the Future Food/Future City exhibition, which will explore the conversion of public spaces into safe hubs for food production. 

Introduced for the first time this year, the Future Food/Future City exhibition will offer food, cultural events, family activities, workshops and musical performances in the plaza outside Al Hussein Cultural Center. 

The Jabal Amman district will host a number of exhibitions, including the pop-up Crafts District, curated and designed by nonprofit private study and research institution, Arini. Located at Al Kabariti Village — a number of privately-owned historic residential buildings and gardens — the Crafts District will boast exhibits on material innovation, handwritten scripts and textiles, as well as daily music programs. 

ADW has also launched a series of walking tours and trails in Jabal Amman and Jabal Luweibdeh, where participating galleries, schools and concept stores in will hold a series of exhibitions and workshops. 

Throughout the nine-day event, ADW will host a number of public workshops addressing design-related issues with social and economic significance. These workshops include "The Materials of the Levant" at the Crafts District, which will focus on the transformation of raw materials as they are crafted into finished products, "Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy", and the family-friendly "Painting Ceramic Jars" workshops. 

Additionally, a number of talks and discussions will be held at Al Hussein Cultural Center with a focus on design’s impact on all aspects of life. Other activities open to public participation include the specialised “Bauhaus Design Battlefield”, a two-day design hackathon that will challenge participants to rethink typography in designing signs. 

ADW is being held in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality, sponsored by Zain Jordan, Investbank, Aramex, the Jordan Tourism Board, Uber, JOTUN Arabia and Art Media.

AMMAN — Over 350 local, regional and international booksellers are participating in the annual Amman Book Fair, which opened on Thursday, September 26 and will wrap up on Saturday, according to organisers.

This year’s exhibition, called “unprecedented” by chairman of the fair’s committee Ahmad Yazouri, is "the largest in the fair’s history", organisers said.  Tunisia is the “guest of honour”, offering cultural shows throughout the nine exhibition days, the organisers said.

With 22 countries participating, the fair has been described by most as “highly organised” and “entertaining”, the organisers said.

Mohammed Odai, who represents an Egyptian publishing house, said the fair “becomes bigger and more organised every year”.

He added: “We have been participating in the fair for three years now, and this time it has one of the most impressive turnouts.”

The theme, “Al Quds is Palestine’s Capital”, is a repeat from last year, which Yazouri said “stresses the stance of the Kingdom and its people on the pressing issue, in light of the Deal of the Century”.

University and school buses have been visiting the fair extensively, according to organisers. 

Suhail Ammouri, a teacher in the Ahliyya Schools, said children of all ages are “enjoying themselves while reading and learning”.

Schoolchildren, who come for young-adult and children's books,  are “perhaps the fair’s biggest buyers", said Ammouri.

Book signings, lectures, cultural shows and children's shows are also taking place at the fair, organisers said.

“My cousin and I came all the way from Irbid to listen to the great author Ibrahim Nasrallah talk about his novel-writing experiences, as we are both aspiring writers,” said Fawzi Abu Saleem, a 15-year-old.

He added: “For most of us, this is our only chance to hear a great writer give such a talk.”

The fair is being held at the Amman International Motor Show from 10am to 10pm, except on Friday, when it is open from 5pm until 10pm.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mohamad Al-Ississ has attended a series of meetings discussing Jordan's economy, the refugee crisis and climate change, among others.

The minister attended the 74th summit of UN General Assembly in New York between September 23 and 26, according to a ministry statement. 

During the UN Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN member states pledged to mobilise financing, as well as enhance cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the target date, the statement said.

The summit adopted the political declaration "Gearing up for a Decade of Action Delivery for Sustainable Development", the statement said, adding that the summit was held for the first time after four years of adopting 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 

Al-Ississ also participated in a session chaired by World Economic Forum President Borge Brende and Brookings Institution (BI) President John R. Allen for strengthening the BI’s role on the changing nature of international political relations in the 21st century, read the statement.

The participants focused on the importance of strengthening cooperation between private and public sectors, developing the service sector, addressing debt in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and addressing the threat of climate change.

The planning minister participated in the 3rd Brussels Conference to support Syria’s future and the region, chaired by European United High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Faderica Mogherini.

He also met with officials and heads of delegations over the current situation of the Jordanian economy and the importance of continued donor support to the Kingdom.

For their part, officials expressed their understanding of the burden shouldered by Jordan and praised the Kingdom’s role in hosting a large number of Syrian refugees, pledging continued investments in Jordan. 

AMMAN — Recognising that tourism is a major driver in local economic growth, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jordan and Partners for Good (PfG) signed an agreement on Wednesday to create employment and income-generating opportunities for women, youth and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Jordanian communities.  

The project will be implemented in the Dead Sea area and in Maan, according to a PfG statement. 

It aims to create jobs and economic opportunities through establishing linkages between local community members and private sector actors, enhancing specific skills-based capacities within women and youth groups and assisting local communities in developing in-demand Jordanian products and services. By design, the project is aimed at addressing several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), read the statement. 

In the Dead Sea area, PfG will focus on developing and enriching leisure opportunities, untapped tourism services and high-quality food production. This will involve conducting targeted trainings, mentorship and providing support to women, farmers and youth as well as creating linkages and partnerships within value hotel chains. 

 In Maan, PfG will create employment opportunities through revitalising desert tourism experiences, such as desert festivals, Jordanian heritage arts, food, services and sports, according to the statement.

The project will directly benefit 250 women and youth, and by extension over 1,500 individuals. Social impact activities organised in partnership with hotels will benefit another 500 households a year within the Dead Sea area. 

In order to engage directly with the wider local community in both areas, environmental and social impact solutions will be implemented to tackle food waste issues and encourage responsible tourism. 

In addition, festivals and cultural events with the involvement of small local businesses, heritage artists, musicians, crafts, food providers, media, filming industry, young talents and community based organisations will be planned in both locations. 

 “We are very excited to launch this project with PfG. This project lies at the very essence of the cooperation between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Jordan, as it is focused on empowering local communities to be more resilient while fostering long-term knowledge, skills and employment opportunities,” Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan Barbara Joziasse said in the statement.

Waleed Al Tarawneh, President and CEO of Partners for Good, said: “This project is instrumental to the mission and vision of Partners for Good, where on the long term impact we aspire to create shared economic value in Jordanian local communities, enhancing integration between private sector businesses and communities and ultimately supporting local actors to create agile, business-oriented women and youth. These all are expected to spur positive, and most importantly, community-led change.” 

AMMAN — Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh on Wednesday decided to stop the issuance and renewal of work permits for non-Jordanian members of teaching faculties at public and private universities in the Kingdom.

The decision was made following a meeting between the minister and a number of unemployed Jordanian youth who hold PhDs or educational qualifications equivalent to an associate or assistant professor across various fields, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

After convening with his team following the meeting, Bataineh made the decision and instructed its circulation across Labour Ministry departments, to come into effect as of October 3.  Applications for permit issuance or renewal for faculty members of universities and colleges will be reviewed individually, Bataineh said, noting that such requests will be denied if a Jordanian can fill the same position.  

AMMAN — Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh on Wednesday attended the launch of a job training programme titled “Path” at Al Hussein Technical University, sponsored by the British Council.

The initiative was developed by the British Council, the UK Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies and a group of pioneering Jordanian companies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the launch, Bataineh stressed the importance of the programme in bridging the gap between theoretical learning and practical application, which enables students to be more efficient and effective in the work environment.

The programme, which is the “first of its kind in the Kingdom”, is set to have 20 student participants from various academic disciplines, Petra reported. British Council Deputy Director May Abu Hamdia hailed the programme as a “national success” since it is based on partnerships with national industries seeking to increase production and competition.