Jordan distanced itself on Tuesday from a large cross-border industrial project jointly drawn up with Israel, whose Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the project was being accelerated.
Indifference among officials in Amman towards the Jordan Gateway project comes as the kingdom warns against excluding Palestinians from regional development schemes, boosted by the normalisation of relations between Arab States and Israel in the past three years.
The official Jordanian news agency quoted a source in the Investment Ministry as saying that the Jordan Gateway "was first proposed in 1998 and is run by the private sector", pointing out two factories that already operate in the zone.
“The project has stumbled in its completion from the Israeli side,” the source said, without giving details.
The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it will speed up the building of the 4 square-kilometre zone across the Jordan river, between the Israeli Kibbutz of Kfar Ruppin and the Jordanian town of Al Mashare.
Mr Lapid said: "This is a breakthrough that will greatly contribute to developing and strengthening the area."
He said the project would "bring employment to both countries" and "allow Israeli and Jordanian entrepreneurs and business people to communicate directly".
Demand for involvement of Palestinians
Unemployment in Jordan is officially at a record high of about 23 per cent, compared with 3.3 per cent in Israel.
The Israeli announcement was made days after Mr Lapid met King Abdullah in Amman. The king told Mr Lapid that the Palestinians must be included in any regional economic projects.
The Jordan Gateway is designed to house large factories, granaries, technology companies, a power station and a bridge connecting the two sides which will allow unhindered movement for anyone crossing it, the project's website says.
Israeli media reported that Israel froze the project after Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh lauded Palestinian stone throwers, as violence broke out in April at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Foreign policy in Jordan is established exclusively by King Abdullah.
His father, King Hussein, signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, under which the countries committed to negotiate a free-trade area and increase “industrial co-operation”.
Jordan depends on Israel for a significant proportion of its water supply and the two sides have close security ties. But bilateral relations have been mostly lukewarm in public.
Last year Jordan and Israel struck a barter agreement, whereby Israel would provide Jordan with water in return for electricity from a proposed solar power plant.
Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity show that Israeli-Jordanian trade remains modest, despite increasing since the 1990s.
Israeli exports to Jordan amounted to $49.5 million in 2020 compared with $500,000 in 1995. Jordan exported to Israel $224m worth of goods compared with $1.8m in 1995.
The figures represent only 2 per cent of Jordan’s $9.7 billion in exports in 2020 and less than 1 per cent of Israeli exports, which totalled $50.8bn that year.
The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4
Price, base: Dh145,000
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
More on animal trafficking
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Spec%20sheet
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
