The European Commission has announced a €902 million ($968.2 million) aid package for Jordan during a visit by King Abdullah II to Brussels to discuss the Israel-Gaza war with European officials.
The package includes €402 million in grants and €500 million in loans by the European Investment Bank, which will support desalination projects for drinking water.
“I thank King Abdullah II for his critical stabilising role in the region,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The EU is a strong friend and partner of Jordan and our co-operation spans many areas, from culture to water management, from refugee support to education and training.”
A commission representative told reporters at a press brief that the announcement was “linked to long-term projects to help develop Jordan”.
“But, of course, this is also highly significant in current context we are currently seeing in the region,” the representative added, responding to a question from The National.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi signed the agreement with Oliver Varhelyi, the EU's commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, according to a video broadcast by the European Commission.
In a speech earlier this week, Ms von der Leyen said that a regional spillover of the conflict was “not inevitable”.
“It will require joint efforts and joint visions for the future by the United States, the European Union, Arab countries, [and] of course, the United Nations, and others to achieve this.”
King Abdullah also met EU Council President Charles Michel, who wrote on social platform X, formerly Twitter, that during their talks he "reaffirmed the EU's position: whether in Ukraine or in Gaza, international and humanitarian law must be upheld".
King Abdullah arrived in Brussels on Monday for a series of meetings with European and Nato officials.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the kingdom had a role to play in helping to eradicate Hamas while also giving hope to the Palestinian people.
In an apparent reference to the bombing of Jabalia refugee camp last week that killed dozens and injured hundreds, Mr De Croo sharply criticised Israel for killing civilians in order to strike a handful of Hamas operatives.
“This is disproportionate and is something that is not acceptable,” Mr De Croo said. “Jordan and other countries are trying to break this spiral of violence. We [only] have days left to avoid being in a situation that will be very difficult to reverse.”
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said that she had shared with King Abdullah “concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
Jordan said on Monday that it had dropped medical supplies by parachute into northern Gaza for a hospital run by the kingdom's military.
More than 10,000 people in the Gaza Strip have died due to Israel's retaliatory shelling after a Hamas-led attack killed about 1,400 people on October 7.
The conflict has brought back to the surface deep divisions among EU countries over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
EU member Belgium, which hosts both EU and Nato headquarters, has in the past days made increasingly critical comments regarding Israel.
Development Co-operation Minister Caroline Gennez told local media on Sunday that the International Criminal Court should be able to investigate Israeli war crimes.
If the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza continues, the EU should look into restricting visas “for certain individuals or import bans of products from settler communities in the [occupied] West Bank”, Ms Gennez's representative told The National.
“Every measure that can contribute to ending the violence should be discussed,” the representative said.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
Mobile phone packages comparison
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
RACE CARD AND SELECTIONS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
The National selections
5pm: RB Hot Spot
5.30pm: Dahess D’Arabie
6pm: Taamol
6.30pm: Rmmas
7pm: RB Seqondtonone
7.30pm: AF Mouthirah
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
Zayed Sustainability Prize
