A plan to revive Jordan's economy has been delayed because of financing issues, the government's spokesman said, after King Abdullah II urged its implementation.
The plan, to create more jobs, expand the middle class and raise living standards in the kingdom, was announced in June.
Jordan's economy has been stagnant for 12 years and unemployment is officially at about 23 per cent.
“There was delay in putting together the executive programme. Part of it is due to a delay in financing,” spokesman Faisal Al Shboul told state television late on Wednesday.
“The government is putting together a credible executive programme and is checking the figures and forecasts so they can be realistically achieved.”
The 123-page plan forecasts doubling Jordan's gross domestic product to $82 billion over the next 10 years, partly by attracting $41 billion of unspecified funding and investment over the period.
It aims to provide jobs for one million young people expected to enter the workforce in the next decade.
A third of Jordan's 10 million population are under the age of 14 and overall income per head is $4,200. The International Monetary Fund expects the economy to grow 2.4 per cent this year, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2021.
The king presided over a cabinet session on Wednesday and instructed Prime Minister Bisher Al Kasawneh to send him a report every three months on how the plan is being executed, the official news agency reported.
“His majesty directed the government to the need of accelerating the executive programme of the economic modernisation vision as soon as possible,” it reported.
It quoted the king as saying that “there are success stories” in Jordan and that the stability of the country has been a major factor behind attracting investment, but that investors still expect a government responsive to their needs.
All significant powers in Jordan lie with the king, while the role of the 26-member cabinet is an administrative one.
The kingdom has had on average a new government every two years since the king succeeded his father, the late King Hussein, in 1999.
King Abdullah replaced eight ministers at the end of last month, in the fifth reshuffle to the government since it was appointed two years ago.
The main portfolios of finance, foreign affairs and interior were not changed.
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GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
