Jordan's government has announced a series of measures to reduce the economic burden on citizens this Ramadan after the holy month last year was marred by nationwide protests over austerity measures to tackle high national debt.
Consumption of food, cooking fuel and electricity rises during Ramadan as families host relatives and friends for meals between sunset and sunrise and socialising continues late into the night, which can almost double the cost of living, according to economic experts.
The government announced on Tuesday that it would freeze fuel prices at April levels, keeping petrol at of 0.750 dinars (Dh0.88) a litre and cooking gas at 7 dinars a cylinder.
The government also froze the cost of power despite a recent rise in international oil prices that would normally be reflected in Jordan’s monthly floating electricity rates, and promised not to cut off water or electricity to households that have fallen behind on their utility payments.
On Wednesday, the government said it would suspend collection of fees and fines during Ramadan, and allow citizens to payments in instalments after the month ends.
The government even urged private banks across the country to “delay” loan repayments. As of Thursday, several local banks had complied with the non-binding call, informing clients via text message and social media that their monthly payments would be “frozen” and resume after the holy month.
Some families even take out loans to cope with the increased costs during Ramadan.
“We Jordanians have been loaned out,” said Hamzeh Al Ali, 55, while leaving a mosque in West Amman. He said one of his sons and two of his brothers who had borrowed money for Ramadan would benefit from the government's moves. “The decisions help a bit, but our problem is with the cost of living and wages, which forces us to borrow in the first place.”
A government report released last month showed that 15.7 per cent of Jordanians, or about one million people, lived in “absolute poverty” – households earning US$350 (Dh1,285) per month or less. government figures put unemployment at 18.6 per cent, meaning about 400,000-500,000 Jordanians lack jobs despite the government's attempts to attract foreign investment.
The protests last year were triggered by controversial decisions such as lowering the threshold for income tax liability, cutting tax exemptions and raising fuel prices, and ultimately brought down the government.
With debt levels hovering at 95 per cent of GDP in the cash-strapped kingdom, the current government of Omar Razzaz has continued with unpopular austerity policies to comply with the terms of a $723 million IMF credit line. But officials say they are sensitive to citizens’ needs and are trying to strike a balance between ending subsidies and assisting the most vulnerable.
What contributed to the success of the protests last year was that families and friends were already gathered for the post-sunset iftar meal and it was easy for large groups to then go from taraweeh prayers to protest late into the night.
There have been a smattering of calls for a return to protests on social media, but independent youth activists who helped lead last year’s demonstrations refused to give a response to what they have called “insufficient” government measures, saying only that “we will return” for protests during the holy month.
However, Jordan’s professional associations, which played a large role in organising last year’s demonstrations, have said they will not go on to the streets and have pledged to give the government time to turn around the economy.
Observers say that without one underlying issue to unite middle-class Jordanians and business people in Amman with those outside the capital, who have been holding sporadic sit-ins and marches over unemployment since the beginning of the year, there is unlikely to be a resurgence in Ramadan protests.
“Today people are talking about poverty, unemployment and corruption, but there is no one serious issue that can unify people and push them to the street in large numbers,” said Amer Al Sabaileh, an independent Jordanian political analyst and columnist.
“Most people are not interested in going to the streets without clear policies and goals in mind, and right now that just isn’t there.”
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Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The five pillars of Islam
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
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The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
