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AMMAN — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Monday received Adviser to the King of Bahrain for Information Affairs Nabeel Al Hamer and discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.

During the meeting, Judeh underlined the deeply rooted Jordanian-Bahraini ties, voicing Jordan’s keenness on maintaining cooperation on issues of mutual concern.

Hamer voiced Bahrain’s appreciation for the Jordanian role in serving Arab causes and regional peace and stability.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday received Masood Ahmed, director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia Department.

Discussions covered economic reform measures taken by the government to enhance growth and create job opportunities.

Ensour stressed his Cabinet’s keenness on continuing dialogue with the IMF over the economic reform programme.

He briefed Ahmed on the consequences of the regional turbulence on Jordan, especially the Syrian refugee crisis.

Ahmed expressed admiration of the economic reform plan adopted in Jordan despite its increasing burdens resulting from regional circumstances.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Rym Ali on Monday attended the opening of a conference organised by the Jordan Media Institute (JMI) on the role of radio in development and democracy.

Supported by the Norwegian Institute for Journalism, the two-day conference, which is being held at the Dead Sea, includes 90 participants who are experts, academics and broadcasters in the field of radio journalism, in addition to representatives of local radio stations, according to a JMI statement.

AMMAN — A security campaign was launched on Monday to remove tents erected by vagrants in the Bayader industrial area in Amman.

The capital’s governor issued directives to remove beggars’ tents in the area after receiving letter from Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan saying that a number of beggars and street peddlers attacked members of the ministry’s anti-vagrancy committee.

AMMAN — Jordan Hijaz Railway Corporation (JHRC) Director General Salah Lozi on Monday met with Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency President Serdar Çam and discussed bilateral cooperation.

Discussions also covered means to benefit from Turkey’s experience in railway transport.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Monday approved a recommendation by its economic development committee allowing the recruitment of qualified Syrian guest workers in qualifying industrial zones and underprivileged and remote areas outside governorate centres.

Institutions wishing to employ Syrian workers have to refer to the Labour Ministry.

The Council of Ministers also approved another recommendation to facilitate the entry of Syrian investors to the Kingdom in coordination with the Jordan Investment Board and the Jordanian Businessmen Association.

In addition, the Cabinet approved extending permits granted to Syrian vehicles registered to companies accredited by the Trade Ministry that entered the country before November 4, 2011.

AMMAN — The Public Works Ministry on Monday signed an agreement with the selected contractors to implement the first phase of the rehabilitation project of the Zarqa-Azraq highway linking Jordan with Saudi Arabia under a $139-million grant from King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz.

Public Works Minister Sami Halsah said all tenders were floated by the end of 2013 and work on the road will commence within two to three weeks.

The project is scheduled to be completed in three years.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, who attended the signing ceremony, voiced Jordan’s gratitude to the Saudi king, noting that the rehabilitation of the 110-kilometre highway is more for humanitarian than commercial purposes as it saves the lives of people using the vital artery, which has been in need of renovation for more than 10 years.

AMMAN — The Millennium Challenge Account — Jordan (MCA-Jordan) on Monday launched a new project to improve household water systems and decrease domestic water costs in Zarqa Governorate.

The Water Smart Homes project’s first phase includes an outreach campaign to raise awareness and encourage the public to manage water consumption efficiently, while the second phase will improve water and wastewater systems at the homes of National Aid Fund beneficiaries in Zarqa, some 22km east of Amman.

“The outreach campaign of the Water Smart Homes will tackle the public’s incorrect perceptions of water and wastewater services in Zarqa to eventually reinstate their trust in the quality of water and wastewater systems,” MCA-Jordan CEO Kamal Zoubi said at a press conference.

The project's funding is covered under the $275-million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).   

The grant also covers the rehabilitation and expansion of the wastewater network, the rehabilitation and restructuring of water networks and the expansion of the Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Briefing the media on the progress of the three ventures, Zoubi said 45 per cent of the rehabilitation and expansion of the wastewater network project has been completed, noting that around 85 kilometres out of the designed 187 kilometres of sewage pipes, was finished by the end of January 2014.

“MCA-Jordan will hand over part of the project to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in March,” Zoubi said, underscoring that the construction work is in line with the MCC’s rigorous environment, social, and gender regulations and policies.

Meanwhile, five out of six tenders have been awarded to implement the rehabilitation and restructuring of water networks project, he said, adding that contractors have already started with the project’s infrastructure work.

Water loss in Zarqa is expected to drop from the current 50 per cent to less than 35 per cent, while water supply will increase from 36 to 70 hours per week once the project is completed, according to MCA-Jordan.

Zoubi said total progress at the Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant has reached 60 per cent, while 50 per cent of the project’s infrastructure has been completed.

Once the expansion is completed, the plant will become one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the Middle East and North Africa, as it is projected to treat over 70 per cent of wastewater generated in the country, according to MCA-Jordan.

The plant currently treats 60 million cubic metres (mcm) of wastewater, and the capacity will more than double to 133mcm after the expansion, according to the state-owned company.

MCC Resident Country Director Alex Russin said the MCA-Jordan programme is based on a partnership between the US and the government, noting that the project seeks to expand Zarqa residents' access to clean water and sanitation.

“We are very pleased with the commitment and progress, and it looks like all construction will be completed on time,” Russin said, noting that the US government’s assistance to the Kingdom’s water sector will continue.

MCA-Jordan was established in 2010 as a company fully owned by the government to manage and implement the MCC-funded programme. 

AMMAN — Around one hundred Jordanians gathered at Al Hussein Youth City in Amman on Monday afternoon to perform the Istisqaa prayer.

The special Muslim prayer for rain is a ritual practised since the time of Prophet Mohammad.

Monday's event was organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs due to the lack of rainfall during the current wet season. 

Since a snowstorm hit the Kingdom last December, the country has not received any substantial rainfall. 

Abdul Rahman Abdah, assistant secretary general at the Awqaf Ministry, led the prayers in the capital and addressed worshippers on its significance and past examples.

"When people despair in the face of hardship, they have no one but God to turn to, asking for His mercy and help," he told The Jordan Times following the prayer. 

Prophet Mohammad used to perform the Istisqaa prayer whenever there was a drought, Abdah said, adding that this ritual can be performed several times in the same season.

He expressed his disappointment over the low turnout, attributing it to the timing of the event and the distance. 

"Similar prayers were also performed across the Kingdom," he added.

Abdullah Ali, one of the worshippers who performed the Istisqaa prayer, said it was the first time he had performed the ritual, adding that the absence of rainfall motivated him to take part. 

"It will really get dangerous if the situation prevails like this during winter," he noted. 

Jordan depends on rain to replenish underground aquifers and reservoirs, the main source of its domestic water supply.

The Kingdom has no major rivers or lakes to meet the demands of its over six million people.

Mohammad Abdullah, who brought his children to attend the prayers, noted that Jordan suffers from a severe shortage of water, voicing hope that it will rain soon. 

"The lack of rain will have negative consequences in the summer," he said.

But he criticised the timing of the Istisqaa prayer, pointing out that most people were still working at the time of the event.

"They could have held it during the weekend," Abdullah suggested.   

Seven-year-old Leen Hamid said she wanted to join her father in performing the prayer after she learned about its importance.

"I hope that God will listen to our prayers."

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday tasked former minister Rajai Muasher to chair a Royal commission entrusted with evaluating and following up on the implementation of the Executive Plan of National Integrity Charter, a Royal Court statement said.  

The plan was endorsed by a national conference held last year, and in December, the King attended a ceremony to launch the National Integrity Charter and Executive Plan, where 2,000 officials, community leaders and representatives of various sectors were present. 

The charter addresses major public concerns while its Executive Plan includes a detailed framework and timeline to complete a set of projects and laws to boost national integrity and prevent corruption.

The approved plans and programmes address financial corruption and set guidelines to safeguard public money and assets, uproot corruption in the wider sense of the word and improve services offered to citizens.

In a letter the King sent to Muasher Sunday assigning him to the mission, he described the charter as a landmark feature on the path of comprehensive reform which seeks to provide a better life for the people through boosting the democratic approach, fostering the values of justice, respecting citizens’ rights and safeguarding their freedoms.

Following is an unofficial translation of the letter: 

Your Excellency Dr Rajai Muasher,

Greetings,

The drafting of the National Integrity System constitutes a milestone in the process of comprehensive reform which seeks to provide a better life for our proud people through boosting the democratic approach, fostering the values of justice, respecting citizens’ rights and safeguarding their freedoms.

This will result in entrenching the principles of integrity which we seek as the pillars of good governance in our dear homeland.

The achievement made by the Royal Commission to Enhance the National Integrity System is worthy of our appreciation and a source of pride for us. Such an achievement has fostered a unique Jordanian approach to the challenges facing us. 

The National Integrity Charter is the fruit of a remarkable national collective effort in which the spectra of the Jordanian community took part, working as one team with a high sense of national responsibility. We are grateful to all of them.

Regarding the national mission ahead, all authorities and national institutions have the responsibility to fully cooperate and maintain continued coordination so that the National Integrity Charter will be adopted as a reference that everyone will abide by. All are expected to translate its Executive Plan into action, and ensure it is implemented within the fixed timeframe. The aim is to enroot the principles of integrity, transparency, justice, accountability, high-quality performance and anti-corruption practices to preserve public money and protect public interests. 

Accordingly, we hereby assign you to chair a Royal commission tasked with evaluating progress and follow up on accomplishment, with full transparency, during the next stage, to comprise the following personalities:

-   His Excellency Dr Hamza Ahmad Haddad

-   His Excellency the president of the Economic and Social Council

-   His Excellency the president of the board of trustees of the National Centre for Human Rights

-   His Excellency Abdul Majeed Thneibat

-   Her Excellency Abla Abu Olbeh

-   Wadah Barqawi 

-   Bassem Tweissi