Zarqa: His Majesty King Abdullah II visited Zarqa, checking on the progress of the Zarqa Industrial Estate, Jordan's first environmentally-friendly industrial city, and instructed the government to expedite its development.
According to Jordan News Agency, during a meeting at the Hashemite University with leading figures from Zarqa Governorate, King Abdullah underscored the industrial city's significance as one of Jordan's largest, stressing the importance of providing facilities to attract investments. The King also highlighted Zarqa's historic connection to the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army.
His Majesty directed the government to establish a comprehensive healthcare center in Zarqa to alleviate pressure on existing services. He also addressed regional challenges, affirming Jordan's commitment to advancing and protecting its interests despite regional issues.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, present at the meeting, stated that the government is implementing projects in Zarqa in line with the King's directives. The government's three-year executive program includes projects worth around half a billion dinars in sectors like health, education, and public transport.
The Prime Minister noted the expansion of the cardiac surgery department at the new Zarqa Hospital and plans to establish a healthcare center at the old Zarqa Hospital site. Construction of a new building for Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein Hospital in Ruseifa, costing JD9 million, will soon commence.
Additionally, around 500 classrooms will be added to Zarqa's schools over the next two years. As part of a corporate social responsibility initiative, four model schools with a 1,000-student capacity each will be built by the next academic year.
Regarding public transport, Hassan mentioned extending the Bus Rapid Transit service to the Hashemite University and building a new transport hub for 1,250 buses. Studies on modernizing the Jordan Hejaz Railway for public transport use are nearing completion.
The government is also addressing urban issues in municipalities like Ruseifa and enhancing development roles in municipalities by launching various projects, similar to those in Azraq.
Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi highlighted the implementation of Royal initiatives in Zarqa, focusing on education, youth, health, social development, and municipal sectors. He noted the phosphate hills rehabilitation project in Ruseifa, with 15 million cubic meters of waste removed in the first phase.
Zarqa Governor Firas Abu Qaoud praised the King's visit, acknowledging efforts to maintain Jordan's security and stability. Meeting attendees expressed pride in the King's engagement and discussed priorities in development, women and youth empowerment, and investment promotion.
During his visit to the industrial city, King Abdullah emphasized promoting the city locally and internationally and developing clear plans to enhance competitiveness. Accompanied by Prime Minister Hassan, the King was briefed by Investment Minister Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on the role of development zones in economic growth and investment facilitation.
Abu Ghazaleh stated that Jordan's development zones have seen investment growth, reaching JD6.49 billion, with 1,670 investments providing approximately 128,000 jobs.
Uday Obeidat, Director General of the Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation, explained the three phases of the Zarqa Industrial Estate project, with phase one covering 1,386 dunums at a cost of JD35 million. The project anticipates attracting 217 industrial investments and generating 8,500 jobs.
Alaa Batayneh, Director of the Office of His Majesty, and Kneiaan Bluwi, Adviser for Tribal Affairs, attended the meeting at the Hashemite University.