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• His Majesty praises results achieved by JPMC, calls for developing investment plan consistent with Economic Modernisation Vision
• Jordan has the fifth largest phosphate reserves in the world at 3.7 billion tonnes
• JPMC is the first exporter, fifth largest producer of phosphate in the world

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday stressed the importance of developing the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company’s (JPMC) exports to include downstream industry products with high economic value, in order to alleviate the impact of price fluctuations and enhance competitiveness.

During a meeting with JPMC representatives, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty praised the results achieved by the company in recent years, calling for developing an ambitious investment plan consistent with the goals of the Economic Modernisation Vision, in terms of expanding investment, increasing growth and employment, and boosting modern industries, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, JPMC Chairman Mohammad Thneibat spoke about the company’s keenness to improve the quality of production and increase its volume, as well as increase sales.

Thneibat said the company has also established new partnerships and started implementing new projects to increase revenues and strengthen its financial and competitive standing, the statement said. 

He added that the company's new projects are expected to contribute to a total increase in sales of approximately $1.2 billion, and an increase in profits no less than $500 million, in addition to creating 1,000 new job opportunities.

The government owns the largest share in the JPMC, which is divided between the Government Investment Management Company, with a 25.6 per cent stake, and the Social Security Corporation, with a 16.6 per cent stake.

JPMC CEO Abdel Wahab Alrowwad gave a briefing on the company’s work during the past five years, explaining that the number of job opportunities it offers increased to 10,000 direct and indirect ones, while the production volume of mining increased by 3.5 million tonnes to reach 11.5 million tonnes.

According to Alrowwad, the company’s sales increased by $890 million, exceeding $2 billion during the same period.

The company has also reached new markets in countries like the United States, Brazil, Australia, and China, and reduced production costs by 40 per cent annually, while employing integrated automation technologies in its production processes, he continued.

Alrowwad highlighted the company's plans for 2024-2030, which include establishing an industrial complex in Aqaba, in partnership with the Arab Potash Company, as well as establishing the Jordanian-Turkish Fertiliser Company, and raising the production capacity of a number of its factories.

Jordan has the fifth largest phosphate reserves in the world at 3.7 billion tonnes, of which 1.25 billion tonnes are the mine reserves of the JPMC, which is the first exporter and fifth largest producer of phosphate in the world, with an annual production capacity of more than 7 million tonnes.

Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan and Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh attended the meeting.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

During a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty stressed the importance of taking immediate action to stop the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Strip and protect innocent civilians, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King called for ensuring the continuous flow of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to Gaza through all available means.

His Majesty also warned of the danger of any military operation in Rafah, stressing that the catastrophic effects of the war in Gaza could spread to areas in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the entire region, the statement said. 

The King said supporting UNRWA is crucial to enable it to cover the basic needs of nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, as well as other Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation.

His Majesty reaffirmed the significant role that the US plays in creating a political horizon that leads to just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, which is the only way to ensure the security of the Palestinians, the Israelis, and the entire region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, and US Ambassador to Jordan Yael Lambert attended the meeting.

Earlier, Safadi met with Blinken to follow up on the discussions with the Arab Group, which focused on efforts to end the war on Gaza, address the humanitarian catastrophe, prevent the military operation on Rafah, de-escalate in the West Bank, and launch a comprehensive plan to create a political horizon to achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan inaugurated on Tuesday the training and maintenance centre project for the technical work teams of the Yarmouk Water Company.

Prince Hassan emphasised the importance of community involvement in the decision-making processes to raise awareness, foster knowledge and implement human-centred policies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The project is supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jordan in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

The prince discussed the importance of transitioning Jordanians' mindset from the state of receiving to one of production and citizen empowerment, creating a community of practice to develop indicative plans.

He added that the key to success in renewing the "renaissance" is investment in human capital and sustainability through "generous" citizenship.

He also highlighted the need to reformulate priorities in the northern development region and focus on substantive integration between the geographic and development components.

Prince Hassan noted that the development and advancement of resources can be achieved through providing an independent scientific and technological database built on absolute information.

He stressed the role of networking among water, food, energy and environment and utilising the land and its resources within the concept of the "ocean."

Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority, Hisham Heisah, reviewed the water challenges faced by Jordan, including climate change and influxes of refugees, which impacted the rise in population numbers and the rise in demand for water.

Heisah referred to the decline in the water share per capita in the Kingdom to 61 cubic metres per annum, compared with the world water poverty line of 500 cubic metres. 

Sarah Avrillaud, the head of the ICRC delegation in Jordan, said that the committee's partnership with the water sector started in 2014 following the influx of refugees into Jordan, which required an immediate action to provide relief efforts to meet basic needs.

AMMAN — The Embassy of Bangladesh held a reception on Tuesday on the occasion of the Independence and the National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

AMMAN — The Environment Minister, Muawieh Radaideh, and the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Jordan, Nabil Assaf, have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at boosting the planting of native, economically beneficial tree species. The goal is to alleviate the impacts of climate change while safeguarding biodiversity.

Radaideh highlighted the importance of this initiative in achieving the objectives of nationwide effort to plant 10 million trees over the next decade. This endeavour seeks to mitigate climate change, increase green spaces, preserve biodiversity, and combat land degradation in the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The minister pointed out that the project enhances the concept of the economic benefits of forests, particularly for communities residing near forested areas. This is achieved by actively involving these communities in protecting forests and realising the concepts of ecosystem services, which align with national strategies aimed at addressing climate change, preserving biodiversity, and combating desertification.

Assaf said that intense competition in the agricultural market with economically viable crops has limited opportunities to benefit from products derived from forests containing valuable native species. 

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa Abdulhakim Waer attended the signing ceremony.

AMMAN — The Department of Statistics (DoS) reported on Tuesday that the unemployment rate in Jordan for 2023 decreased 0.8 percentage points from the previous year, settling at 22 per cent.

The DoS, in a statement issued on the occasion of International Labour Day, celebrated annually on May 1, said that the unemployment rate among males had dropped by one percentage point from 2022, standing at 19.6 per cent in 2023. 

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among females decreased 0.7 percentage points from the previous year, reaching 30.7 per cent in 2023, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The DoS also pointed out that the number of workers insured by the Social Security Corporation had seen a "significant increase over the years,  rising from 366,000 workers in 2000 to approximately 1,503,019 workers in 2022.

The report also noted that the average monthly wage has increased from JD60 in the mid-1970s to JD211 in the mid-1990s and further increased to JD546 in 2021 across both the public and private sectors, adding that the average wage for males was JD563, compared with JD505 for females.

In terms of sector-specific wages, the average monthly wage for public sector workers was JD643 in 2021, with males earning an average of JD679, compared with JD585 for females. In the private sector, the average monthly wage was JD497, with males earning an average of JD515, compared with JD443 for females.

The DoS noted that the economic participation of Jordanian women still fell short of the desired level, with the economic participation rate for Jordanian women, defined as the number of economically active women aged 15 and above divided by the total number of women in the same age group, was 14 per cent in 2023. 

This indicates that for every 7.14 women, one was economically active in 2023, compared with one economically active man for every 1.88 men in the age group of 15 and above.

AMMAN — Minister of Investment Kholoud Al Saqqaf held discussions on Monday in London focused on bolstering investment relations between Jordan and the United Kingdom in line with the objectives of the Economic Modernisation Vision 2033 and the Investment Promotion Strategy 2023-2026.

A statement released by the ministry on Tuesday revealed that Saqqaf held a series of bilateral meetings with Dominic Johnson, the UK’s Minister of State for Regulatory Reform, and other government officials, to strengthen Jordanian-British relations and the development of frameworks to enhance investment and trade ties between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During separate meetings with British private sector officials, Saqqaf briefed senior British companies in the infrastructure, information technology, transportation, tourism, and medical tourism sectors on the business environment and investment opportunities in Jordan. The British representatives expressed their interest in the investment opportunities in Jordan and appreciated the reforms implemented by the Jordanian government to enhance the business environment in the Kingdom.

Saqqaf also met with several Jordanian businessmen residing in the UK and briefed them on the economic and legislative reforms, the business environment, and the investment opportunities available in the Kingdom. She also discussed the investment incentives they could obtain if they direct their business compass towards Jordan, in addition to introducing them to the "Invest in Jordan" platform.

Saqqaf also emphasised the importance of expatriate investments in their homeland and their role in attracting foreign investments to the Kingdom, highlighting their potential to act as a bridge between Jordan and the countries where they reside, thereby promoting Jordan and its investment opportunities, attracting new investments, and establishing partnerships with Arab and foreign investors.

The United Kingdom is one of the key markets targeted in the Investment Promotion Strategy 2023-2026, which aims to attract more investments from specific markets and promising sectors.

BRUSSELS – The Day of Dialogue of the VIII Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region' opened on Tuesday with reaffirmation by the international community to support Syrian people, refugees and their host communities.

Hosted by the European Union for the eighth year, the event focused on ways to strengthen the humanitarian, financial and political support for the people of Syria as well as supporting civil society organisations' work.

During the morning session, the Emirati Jordanian Camp Adel Khamees community members urged the international community to continue supporting Jordan.

“I come here carrying many messages from Syrian refugees from Jordan that urge the international community for continued sustainable support to Jordan’s efforts in integrating refugees in their local communities,” Khamees told the gathering.

By ensuring strong support, Khamees, a Syrian refugee residing in Jordan, maintained, “the international community will contribute to securing the well-being and livelihood of Syrian refugees in Jordan”.

“Supporting the Kingdom’s efforts will work to provide better opportunities in work, education, health and other necessary fields to ensure that Syrian refugees live in a dignified manner,” Khamees stressed.

In his keynote address, European Commissioner for Crisis Management at the  Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Janez Lenarčič said “Syria has grown into one of the biggest humanitarian crises and one of the largest refugee crises in the world”.

Every year the situation worsens with little progress made towards finding a solution, Lenarčič told around 800 participants attending the Brussels Conference including representatives from the Syrian civil society (from Syria, the neighbouring countries and the diaspora), main UN stakeholders and agencies, EU Member States, third countries representatives as well as international NGOs.

However, Lenarčič maintained, “this event also gives me hope”.

“Looking around, I see undiminished determination and commitment to build a better Syria. You should know that Europe stands with you. With this event, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Syrians both in the country and across this region,” Lenarčič stressed.

Lenarčič pointed out that “the fabric of the Syrian society is falling apart with over 70 per cent of Syrians requiring humanitarian aid”.

For years Syrians have lived with “the constant threat of violence from arbitrary arrest and torture to forced disappearance and killings,” the fabric of Syrian society is falling apart,” Lenarčič stressed.

“We know that the current situation in Syria is beyond desperate. But we must not lose hope. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of the Syrian people,” added Lenarčič. 

The EU envoy listed actions to adopt including demanding respect for international humanitarian law and Human Rights Law, the need for more long-term perspective and more funding.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the EU together "with our member states has mobilised over 33 billion euros in humanitarian, stabilisation and resilience assistance for this crisis," Lenarčič stated.

“This makes Europe one of the world's largest donors to Syria. But this alone is not enough. We urgently need more funding from more donors,” Lenarčič stressed.

During the one-day event, participants from Jordan, Lebanon and Syria urged the international community to adopt several measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Syrians residing inside and outside Syria.

Some of the recommendations focused on unifying the message that is transmitted to the international community regarding the needs and situation of the Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

The country representatives also called for supporting local and internal organisations that offer services to Syrian refugees in the three countries.

In addition, they called on the international community to support youth and women’s initiatives and projects.

There is also an urgent need to increase higher education scholarships for Syrian refugees, according to the country representatives to empower refugees to become agents of change.

They also stressed the need to support awareness-raising projects that focus on combating early marriages that are depriving young Syrian girls of education and enjoying a healthy childhood.

In addition, the representatives called for ensuring the necessary expanding work opportunities for Syrian refugees to join the labour market easily.

Work on a narrative that would show that refugees are an asset and not a problem for a certain country, according to the recommendations.

The recommendations added that there is a need to rehabilitate damaged facilities that provide essential services to Syria.

In her closing remarks, Acting Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues, European External Action Service Belén Martínez Carbonell said the Brussels Conference was an opportunity for Syrian civil society and stakeholders to have discussions that covered matters of principles.

The EU, its member states and the international community will continue to stand with the Syrian meeting, Carbonel told the gathering.

“We find it essential to build a peaceful Syria for tomorrow,” Carbonel added.

The Ministerial meeting that will be chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, will take place on May 27 , and brings together State actors – notably, EU Member States, Syria's neighbouring States, and third countries – as well as representatives from the United Nations and other international organisations, to mobilise vital financial support to address the most pressing needs of Syrians and their host communities in neighbouring countries.

The EU has been organising an annual conference in Brussels since 2017 to support the future of Syria.

The conference aims to mobilise the international community behind the UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting comprehensive political solution to the Syria crisis, in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.