King Abdullah II of Jordan swore in a new government on Wednesday, state media said, as the kingdom seeks to boost lacklustre economic growth amid a modernisation drive.
State news agency Petra reported that Harvard-educated Jafar Hassan would lead the government following the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh.
Veteran Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who has struck a strong anti-Israel tone since the outbreak of the Gaza war, kept his post in the new 32-member cabinet.
The ministers were sworn in at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman in front of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Petra said.
Mr Hassan outlined priorities for his new government including a commitment to continuing modernisation, the news agency reported. Mr Hassan was previously the head of King Abdullah's office.
Jordan is trying to rein in more than $50 billion in public debt and bring down high unemployment. The kingdom has been a recipient of billions of dollars of foreign aid from Western donors.
The king has advocated a modernisation drive but the country's more conservative religious opposition made significant gains in parliamentary elections earlier this month. However, pro-government members retained their majority in the 138-seat parliament. All significant powers in Jordan reside with the king, who has ruled since 1999.
The opposition gained 31 parliamentary seats – its most in decades. They have been vocal in their support for Hamas in the Gaza conflict and have organised some of the largest anti-Israel protests in the Middle East.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab state to do so after Egypt, but regular protests have called for its cancellation since the war erupted last October.
Tensions were heightened this month after a Jordanian lorry driver killed three Israelis at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, a major trade route with Israel. The crossing was closed for several days before being reopened to travellers.
Less than one-third of eligible voters cast ballots in the recent election, according to an official tally, with public anger rising over tensions with Israel and a sluggish economy.
Mr Hassan, a technocrat, will face the challenges of mitigating the economic impact of the Gaza war. Jordan has been hit hard by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.
New Finance Minister Abdul Hakim Al Shibli replaces veteran Mohammad Al Ississ, who won praise from the International Monetary Fund for stepping up reforms and maintaining fiscal prudence.
Jordan has seen a decade of lacklustre economic growth, hovering at about 2 per cent, that has been worsened by the Covid pandemic and conflicts in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
Agencies contributed to this report
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MANDOOB
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
