Day: January 5, 2025

Nablus: Jordanian Field Hospital Nablus/5 recently conducted maintenance and expansion works, aimed at providing medical services amid the current weather conditions and increasing capacity to treat additional patients. The move comes within the framework of enhancing the quality of healthcare services provided to the people in the city of Nablus.

According to Jordan News Agency, the initiative was undertaken in response to the surge in Palestinian patients, reflecting a commitment to meet the public’s needs. The hospital’s commander emphasized the importance of this step in boosting the hospital’s readiness to provide comprehensive medical services.

The hospital, established under Royal directives, underscores Jordan’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people by offering humanitarian and medical assistance to improve their health conditions and alleviate their suffering, as highlighted in the official statement.

Amman: The University of Jordan (UJ) and Turkish Sakarya University (SAU) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance academic, research, and cultural collaboration between the two institutions.

According to Jordan News Agency, the MoU was formalized on Sunday with signatures from UJ President Dr. Nazir Obeidat and SAU Rector Dr. Hamza Al. The agreement lays the groundwork for faculty exchanges, participation in scientific seminars, the organization of international workshops and short-term academic programs, the development of joint research projects, and the training of PhD students.

During the signing ceremony, Dr. Obeidat emphasized that the MoU aligns with UJ’s strategy to bolster its international academic presence. He highlighted that the collaboration with SAU is expected to facilitate cultural exchange and strengthen Jordanian-Turkish relations, drawing on shared cultural elements to foster cooperation in research, language education, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Al stated that SAU aims to leverage this partnership to enhance its status as a research university, benefit from UJ’s expertise in international rankings, and build joint academic programs. The two universities have also agreed to collaborate on teaching Arabic and Turkish to non-native speakers, expanding e-learning and digital library resources, and pursuing internationally supported research projects, particularly through the Erasmus Plus program.

The agreement underscores UJ’s dedication to international cooperation and its commitment to offering educational and research opportunities for its students and faculty.

Amman: Minister of State for Public Sector Development, Khair Abu Saileik, underscored the pivotal role of institutional culture in enhancing performance, ensuring transparency, and promoting efficiency within the public sector.

According to Jordan News Agency, this statement was made during an awareness session held for secretaries-general, which focused on the general framework of institutional culture. The event was organized by the Public Sector Modernization Program Management and Implementation Unit in collaboration with the Governance Improvement Project to Support Jordanian Reform Projects, with support from the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Abu Saileik emphasized that the success of public sector modernization hinges on institutional culture, which constitutes one of the seven components of the roadmap for modernization approved by the government in 2022. He stressed the importance of cultivating a conducive work environment that supports team spirit, coordination, and high-quality service delivery, enabling citizens to experience tangible improvements in the public sector system.

He highlighted plans to evaluate the public sector modernization efforts undertaken from 2023 to 2025, with results expected by mid-year or by the third quarter at the latest. Furthermore, job classifications will be updated, obsolete roles will be replaced with future-oriented ones, and a part-time work system will be introduced. This will enable department heads to oversee multiple institutions within their jurisdiction on a scheduled basis, maintaining their current salaries.

Abu Saileik also announced imminent amendments to the human resources management system, highlighting the responsibility of secretaries and general managers as leaders of this transformative process, supported by institutional development departments.

Since adopting the modernization roadmap, the government has initiated several measures to foster institutional culture, designing models and programs that align with modernization goals. Abu Saileik called on government leaders to support these changes actively, inspiring their teams to embrace modernization and establish a culture that facilitates transformation.

Director General of the Institute of Public Administration, Siham Khawaldeh, emphasized the critical role of institutional culture in the success of modernization initiatives, noting that a lack of supportive culture is often a primary reason for the failure of change efforts globally. She called for abandoning traditional practices incompatible with contemporary and future needs, which risk undermining efficiency and the desired progress.

Widad Qteishat, Director of the Public Sector Modernization Program Management and Implementation Unit, provided a presentation on leadership’s role in effecting change in institutional culture. She elaborated on the motivations and mechanisms for managing cultural change within public sector institutions.

Sara Khazaei, a representative from the German Development Agency, discussed the objectives of the Partner Project, emphasizing its support for administrative modernization, strategic planning, and the public sector reform agenda.

Key topics of the session included institutional values, change management, and leadership’s role in fostering cultural transformation. The session concluded with participant feedback, highlighting the importance of initiatives in improving institutional efficiency and providing recommendations to ensure their sustainability.

Ramallah: The year 2024 witnessed a significant increase in attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

According to Jordan News Agency, the Commission reported a total of 16,612 attacks and violations against Palestinians, their lands, properties, and holy sites across the West Bank last year. The Commission monitors settlement activity throughout the occupied territory.

The data revealed that the occupation army was responsible for 13,641 violations, while hardline Jewish settlers carried out 2,971 attacks. The majority of these incidents occurred in Hebron, which experienced 2,934 violations, followed by Nablus with 2,531, and Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 2,224.

Settler violence was predominantly concentrated in Nablus, where 806 attacks were documented, Hebron with 657, and Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 532.

In the latest development, extremist settlers established a new settlement outpost today in the village of Qaryut, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Yousef Al Hajj of Qaryut Village Council reported that a group of settlers set up tents on confiscated Palestinian lands in an attempt to launch a new settlement on territory owned by Palestinians.

Gaza: The Jordanian Field Hospital Gaza/80 launched a blood donation campaign on Sunday to support the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, ensuring local hospitals are stocked to address critical medical needs. This initiative is part of the ongoing humanitarian and medical aid provided by the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army to the people of Gaza.

According to Jordan News Agency, the hospital force commander highlighted that the campaign aligns with Jordan’s steadfast commitment, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, to supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza. These efforts aim to secure adequate blood supplies for local hospitals, bolstering the resilience of the patients and reinforcing Jordan’s humanitarian relief efforts.

Additionally, the hospital staff distributed medical and therapeutic aid to address the humanitarian challenges faced by Gaza’s residents amid the ongoing war.

Representatives from Gaza’s Ministry of Health expressed their profound gratitude to Jordan’s leadership and the hospital team for their continued support. They lauded this campaign as a testament to the enduring solidarity between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples.

Since its mission began on October 30, 2024, the Jordanian Field Hospital in northern Gaza has delivered medical services to about 18,582 patients, underscoring its vital role in alleviating suffering in the Strip.

Amman: Minister of Investment, Muthanna Gharaibeh, stated that the ministry’s strategy is designed to promote investment through a differential advantage, attract foreign flow, and motivate investors by applying international practices. Gharaibeh made these remarks during a session with the Senate’s Finance and Economic Committee, chaired by Dr. Rajai Ma’asher, to discuss the strategies of the Ministries of Investment and Water.

According to Jordan News Agency, Gharaibeh emphasized that the strategy aims to improve investor transactions throughout the different stages of projects, particularly focusing on registration and licensing necessary to commence economic activities. The minister highlighted that this vision is expected to sustain and expand investment operations, thereby enhancing Jordan’s economic growth and creating job opportunities for young people.

The strategy also seeks to strengthen the partnership between Jordan’s public and private sectors and encourage local investment. Gharaibeh pointed out that the Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project marks the initial step in this collaborative effort. He reiterated the ministry’s role in promoting investment by preparing feasibility studies to stimulate schemes in priority sectors, aligning with the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV).

Meanwhile, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Raed Abu Saud, elaborated on the ministry’s strategy to achieve Jordan’s water security. This strategy includes a long-term plan to address water scarcity, climate change, and population growth. Abu Saud detailed efforts to optimally manage current water resources and improve sustainable supply from non-traditional sources, notably the National Water Carrier Project, aiming to achieve this at the lowest cost.

Abu Saud also mentioned the strategy’s focus on reducing water loss and protecting surface and groundwater sources through strict enforcement of laws and regulations. Dr. Ma’asher added that the committee intends to review the strategies and projects of both ministries to assess their compatibility with the EMV.