Day: 12 March 2024

Jordan Tuesday condemned the Israeli forces for killing two Jordanian citizens yesterday in Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s official spokesperson, Sufyan Qudah, said the Ministry urged Israel to investigate and share the investigation’s findings, adding, “The Ministry will take all necessary diplomatic measures according to relevant international law, agreements and norms.”

Qudah added that the Ministry is in contact with the families of the two citizens who also hold Palestinian IDs, expressing the Ministry’s condolences to the families.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Government has ratified the National Registry Bylaw for Government Investment Projects, as stipulated under Paragraph (A) of Article Five of the Public-Private Partnership Law, marking a significant advancement in the governance of investment initiatives.

This legislative framework, as documented in the Official Gazette, is set to enhance strategic management, planning, and execution of government-funded investments and partnerships with the private sector.

This bylaw introduces a centralized repository within the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, aimed at aggregating and managing comprehensive datasets on all government investment projects.

The registry’s mandate encompasses the meticulous archiving, organization, and preservation of essential documents, studies, and reports pertaining to these projects. It also includes setting project priorities, managing lifecycle stages, and rigorously monitoring performance metrics to ensure alignment with approved financial allocations and proj
ect timelines, thereby safeguarding public financial resources.

Integral to the registry’s infrastructure are two principal databases: one dedicated to government investment projects and the other to public-private partnership initiatives, detailing both direct and indirect financial commitments associated with these projects.

The bylaw further mandates the formation of a specialized committee for government investment projects and delineates the responsibilities of a designated organizational unit within the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. This unit is tasked with the critical functions of managing the national registry, ensuring the integrity and currency of its data, and overseeing the registry’s operational efficacy.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan’s growth rate in the third quarter of 2023 was at 2.7 of GDP at constant market prices, compared to the same period of 2022, official data showed.

The growth rate of GDP (gross domestic product) at constant market prices from the beginning of 2023 until the end of September amounted to 2.7 percent, compared to the same period last year, as GDP rose to JD24.067 billion in the third quarter of last year, compared to JD23.429 billion in the same period of 2022, the Association of Banks in Jordan said in a report.

As for sectoral estimates, preliminary results showed that most economic sectors posted growth during the third quarter of 2023, compared to the third quarter of 2022, it said.

Topping the list were the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, which achieved a growth rate of 6.9 percent, then the transport, storage and communications sectors, 5.1 percent, manufacturing, 3.7 percent, electricity and water, 3.3 percent and Banking services, 3.1 percent, according to the report.

The Internatio
nal Monetary Fund has estimated Jordan’s economy will grow by about 2.6 percent in 2023.

Standard and Poor’s credit rating agency lately announced that Jordan’s rating was fixed at B+/B with a stable outlook, due to its ability to meet long-term obligations in foreign currency.

GDP and its components are evaluated at fixed market prices in different time periods for a specific, logical and appropriate base year, in order to calculate real growth rates that reflect the economic reality in a sound and appropriate way for any country.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The pound sterling Tuesday declined for the second day consecutively against the dollar and the euro.

According to reports from British financial centres, the sterling fell against the dollar by 0.21% at $1.2792 and 0.22% against the euro at 1.1701.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, on Tuesday received Assistant Chief of Staff of Iraqi Army, Lit. Gen. Hamid Anad Halbousi.

Huneiti discussed with the Iraqi guest aspects of joint cooperation and coordination in various military fields, according a Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) statement.

Discussions also went over the latest developments on the regional and international arenas to serve interest of the two brotherly countries’ armed forces.

At dawn, an Iraqi aid convoy consisting of 36 trucks carrying humanitarian and food aid arrived to Jordan and will be sent to Gaza Strip by JAF, in coordination with the Jordanian Hashemite Charitable Organization (JHCO), to relieve Gaza people’s suffering during their difficult conditions as a result of war.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A report by Market Study Unit at Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (Intaj) showed that 91% of Jordanians are connected to Internet.

According to an Intaj statement Tuesday, the report indicated that 77% of people in Jordan prefer cellular devices to make calls, compared to 22% who use laptops and other devices.

Rate of people in Jordan who prefer to use Google Chrome browser reached 76%, while the size of Android system users in the Kingdom hit 79%, Intaj said.

The association stated that about 6.4 million people in the Kingdom have accounts on social media platforms, with a usage rate of 56% of the Jordanian population.

The report also highlighted some important trends among women in Jordan, as it was found that females do not “remarkably” prefer using LinkedIn platform, as the usage rate was recorded at 33%.

However, data showed women “clearly” prefered “Snapchat” with a usage rate of 54%, making this app their favorite platform.

Additionally, “Instagram” is “very popular
” among women in Jordan with a usage rate of 50%, while percentage of female use of X platform in Jordan reached 37%, Intaj pointed out.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) Tuesday launched five joint airdrops of aid to Gaza with Arab and friendly countries.

The airdrops targeted locations in the north of the enclave, as part of a Jordan-led international effort to mitigate the effects of the war on Gazans.

Two Royal Jordanian Air Force C130s and three aircraft from the United States, Egypt and Belgium took part in the airdrops.

Today’s mission raised to 40 the number of airdrops carried out by JAF since the start of the Israeli war, in addition to 49 that were launched in cooperation with Arab and friendly nations.

JAF pledged it is continuing to send humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Gaza via an air bridge between Marka Airport and Al-Arish International Airport, or through airdrops or aid convoys.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health for Primary Health Care and Epidemics, Dr. Raed Shboul, on Monday visited a number of Jordanian pharmaceutical factories located in the Algerian capital.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the visit, which reflected its interest in the Jordanian pharmaceutical industries sector, included Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Dar Aldawa and Al-Kindi factories.

Shaboul made this visit on the sidelines of his visit to Algeria, heading Jordanian hospitals’ delegation, who last Saturday signed agreements to treat Algerian patients benefiting from Algerian National Social Insurance Fund for Employees in a number of Jordanian hospitals.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Gaza death toll by the Israeli aggression so far rose to 31,184 victims and 72,889 injuries, Ministry of Health in Gaza announced.

In a statement Tuesday, the ministry said Israeli occupation committed 8 massacres during the past 24 hours, claiming 72 Palestinian lives and injuring 129 others.

The ministry added that malnutrition and dehydration killed 27 Gazans, noting 72% of the victims of the Israeli aggression on the coastal enclave were children and women.

Source: Jordan News Agency

President of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) of Jordan, Dr. Musa Shteiwi, said the Kingdom’s enjoys a “good” technological infrastructure in terms of the geographical spread of Internet and at the social level.

Shteiwi’s remarks came during the Government Communication Forum organized by Ministry of Government Communication Tuesday on the “Country Status Report…The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Labor Market.”

Shteiwi also noted necessity of providing the “necessary” skills and technologies for modern industries and technology, indicating that adopting the 4IR requires funding resources needed to invest in innovation, research and development.

Outcomes of the said report concluded that access to the 4IR requires Jordanian government’s concerted efforts, the private sector, and the education sector, he pointed out.

Shteiwi added that this bid is achieved by building a Jordanian “strategic” framework that constitutes a road map for advancing national industry set by Jordan’s Economic Modernizat
ion Vision (EMV) by adopting “high-value” industries and focusing on leadership and creativity.

Additionally, Shteiwi said government begun to respond to the 4IR components as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship announced Jordan’s Artificial Intelligence Policy Document in 2020 and approved Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the years 2023-2027.

He added that the gov’t also approved Ethical Charter for Artificial Intelligence in 2023, established National Cyber Security Center and telecom providers started to provide 5G service in some areas.

However, he noted number of projects supported by the Jordan Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF) is modest, as 539 were supported in all specializations since 2008-2022, of which 264 have been published or are under publication, at a total cost of JD32 million at a rate of JD2.2 million annually.

According to global databases, research activities in the field of artificial intelligence by Jordanian researchers have increased “significantly”, as
this research witnessed an increase from 38 research works in 2000 to 1,727 in 2022.

According to Shteiwi, Jordan has recently made progress in global indicators, as it recorded an improvement in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) from 72nd place in 2021 to 68th place in 2023, and jumped on the Global Innovation Index by 7 points over the year 2021 to achieve 71st rank out of 132 countries.

Jordan also advanced on the Government Readiness Index for Artificial Intelligence to 55th place globally compared to 80th slot in 2021, he said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Israeli occupation forces persisted in a policy of targeting Gazans trying to find food for their children, especially in the north of the strip, where there is a real and total starvation and no aid, the head of the Government Media Office in Gaza Salameh Marouf said.

He said in a statement Tuesday that the occupation army again bombed crowds waiting to pick up aid at the Kuwait Roundabout this morning, resulting in deaths and injuries.

“The targeting by the occupation army of civilians waiting for aid corroborates the starvation policy it pursued as a weapon to complete the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza,” said Marouf.

He said Israel was aided by the international community’s acquiescence to its dictates and a lack of seriousness to call for a ceasefire to allow the flow of sufficient aid and end the suffering of the Palestinians.

Also today, two brother fishermen were killed by Israeli gunboats in the Nuseirat Sea in Central Gaza.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Water and Irrigation Minister, Raed Abu Saud, and Norwegian Ambassador to Jordan, Espen Lindback, discussed collaborative efforts, particularly in strategic projects aimed at securing sustainable water sources for Jordan.

In their meeting, attended by Niels Wright, CEO of Water Rise specializing in water desalination, Abu Saud outlined Jordan’s water challenges, exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and the refugee crisis, despite ongoing efforts to enhance water resources.

He highlighted Jordan’s strategies in water management, loss reduction, and energy efficiency programs to alleviate the sector’s financial burden, along with long-term solutions like the national carrier project.

The Norwegian Ambassador commended Jordan’s water management efforts and humanitarian initiatives toward refugees, affirming Jordan’s success despite limited water resources.

He expressed Norway’s keenness for effective cooperation in Jordan’s strategic water projects.

Source: Jordan News Agency