Month: March 2025

Amman: The Royal Hashemite Documentation Centre has showcased a historical document revealing the royal message issued by King Abdullah I on January 9, 1951, which led to the transformation of the Municipality of Amman into the Greater Amman Municipality. This move marked a significant development in the capital and recognized the municipality’s contributions to serving the citizens.

According to Jordan News Agency, the center’s statement, released on Saturday, explained that the message was addressed to Abdul Rahman Al-Fawaeer, who was serving as the mayor of Amman at the time and later became the first mayor of the capital. The royal decree directed the government and the Ministry of Municipalities to implement the decision, aligning with the growing role Amman was playing at the time.

Zarqa: The Chairman of the Zarqa Chamber of Industry, Fares Hamoudeh, announced a 12% increase in the chamber’s exports during February 2025, totaling $117.1 million, compared to $104.6 million in the same month of 2024.

According to Jordan News Agency, Hamoudeh mentioned that the total exports for the first two months of 2025 amounted to $223.5 million, slightly lower than the $228.9 million recorded in the same period of 2024. Exports to North America accounted for 46.7% of total exports, valued at $104.3 million during the first two months of 2025, marking a 3% decrease from $107 million in the same period last year. However, exports to the United States increased by 0.6%, reaching $101.2 million, compared to $100.6 million in 2024.

Exports to Arab countries made up 40.3% of total exports, valued at $90.2 million, down from $93.9 million in 2024. Iraq remained the top Arab importer of Zarqa’s exports, although the value of exports to Iraq decreased by 6%, reaching $31.6 million, compared to $33.6 million last year. Saudi Arabia ranked second, with a 7% increase in exports, totaling $25.7 million compared to $24.1 million in 2024. Algeria saw the highest growth in exports, with a 72% increase, reaching $14.3 million, up from $8.3 million in 2024.

Exports to non-Arab Asian markets amounted to $12.4 million, representing 5.5% of total exports, a 43% increase from $8.7 million in 2024. In contrast, exports to the European Union decreased by 34%, totaling $6.1 million, down from $9.3 million last year.

Regarding industrial sectors, Hamoudeh noted that the leather, textiles, and clothing industries led the exports with $110.29 million, though this marked a 7% decrease compared to $118.84 million in 2024. The food, agricultural, and livestock sectors came second, with exports declining by 25%, totaling $38.94 million, compared to $51.69 million last year. The engineering, electrical, and IT sectors showed impressive growth, ranking third with $21.21 million in exports, up 75% from $12.12 million in 2024. The construction industries followed, with a 69% increase, totaling $19.07 million, compared to $11.28 million last year.

The chemical industries and cosmetics sector exported $11.09 million, slightly down from $12.02 million in 2024. Other notable sectors included medical supplies ($8.69 million), packaging, paper, and office supplies ($7.12 million), plastics and rubber ($6.42 million), and furniture and woodworking ($600,000).

Irbid: The Es’aa (seek) Job Search Clubs program, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Youth and the International Labour Organization (ILO), concluded its activities at the Economic Empowerment Panorama Hub (Ecorama Hub) in the Tunis Garden, Irbid Municipality. The program involved 15 young participants, aged 18-24.

According to Jordan News Agency, the closing ceremony was attended by several officials, including Irbid Mayor Nabil Koufahi, the UNHCR Representative, Rania Ksaifi, the Director of the UNHCR Office in Irbid, Marjorie Cabrol, the first Secretary of the Dutch Embassy, Joost de Vries, and the Head of Youth Centers in Irbid Directorate of Youth, Tareq Shiyyab.

The training program aimed to engage and empower youth by equipping them with the necessary skills to enter the job market. The program included intensive workshops on crafting professional CVs.

Irbid: The Awqaf Directorate in the Koura District in Irbid announced the readiness of 200 mosques to host Taraweeh prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. The initiative also includes enhanced activities and projects focused on supporting orphans and those in need.

According to Jordan News Agency, Khaled Bani Yassin, Director of Awqaf in the Koura District, stated that 20 mosques have been newly furnished, and mosques without staff will be assigned imams for Taraweeh prayers. Additionally, the directorate will distribute shopping vouchers to underprivileged families in collaboration with the military consumer corporation, provide ready-made food packages, and participate in the Day of Orphan in the Muslim world by organizing a large Iftar gathering for over 150 orphans and their families, with cash gifts provided.

Bani Yassin also emphasized that the directorate will continue to hold the Hashemite Scientific Councils across the district, with participation from a distinguished group of scholars and thinkers.