NEW YORK // It is uncertain whether Jordan's King Abdullah II could have picked a better - or worse - time to publish his memoir.
Yesterday was the ninth Friday in a row that protesters filled central Amman calling for reforms - days after the king's first book Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril appeared in US book shops.
Completed in September and published by Viking, the king writes in a personable and, at times, informal style. He focuses mostly on external threats to the kingdom he has ruled since his father King Hussein died 12 years ago. But, the Hashemite ruler does touch upon the need for democratic changes in his kingdom.
In a chapter called Transforming Jordan he says the country will not reach its full potential without broader political and social reform. "Political reform could have progressed faster and we could have done a better job of explaining some of the reasons for what we were doing," he wrote. "Unfortunately, political development has sometimes been two steps forward and one step back."
He wrote that in 2009, he presented Samir Rifai, then prime minister, with a set of reforms and the government was committed "to fight corruption, increase transparency, protect the rights of women and children, and remove all obstacles to the development of a free and professional media industry".
"I know that Jordan's future dictates that we move forward with democratisation, to ensure that all Jordanians feel they have a larger say in their government and a stake in the country's future," he wrote.
About 3,000 Jordanian protesters were back on the streets of Amman yesterday.
"Reform and change, this is what people want," protesters shouted as they emerged from al Husseini Mosque after noon prayers.
The crowd criticised "sleepy Arab leaders", and demanded that they "listen" and "understand" that people need reforms and called for "reforming the regime".
"There is no alternative save for a democratic election law and early elections," Jamil Abu Baker, the Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman, said. "We want a parliament that truly represents people will, one that will eventually lead to the formation of a parliamentary government," he said.
After weeks of protests, the king sacked the government of Mr Rifai on February 1. Marouf Bakhit, a former army general and a former prime minister, was appointed the new head of cabinet tasked with introducing reforms.
The king's main messagein his book is the urgency of delivering Middle East peace. Many of the Jordanian activists who have held protests during the past two months have called for the end of the peace treaty Jordan signed with Israel in 1994.
While the king does not appear to face any imminent danger of being deposed, Islamists, liberals and traditional supporters of Jordan's royal family seem to have coalesced into a unified demand for a constitutional monarchy, which would curb the king's power and allow direct election of a prime minister.
The king's book outlines the many challenges facing the resource-poor kingdom. Its neighbours' conflicts have often emboldened Islamists and radicals at home and placed the country on the front line against terrorism.
In the past, the king has often been caught between the demands of native Jordanians, known as East Bankers, to retain their privileges and those of the Palestinians, who make up more than half of the population of some 6.4 million people and feel discriminated against.
Amin Mashaqbeh, a former minister of social development and professor of political science, said the king's vision of reform was made evident in his book but also in recent remarks about the need to amend laws governing political life, particularly the election and public gathering laws.
"The events in the region dictate political adaptation. We need to have comprehensive reforms but to start with small and gradual steps," said Mr Mashaqbeh. "The king has linked the peace process with stability in the region, which is a major requirement for development. The absence of the peace process, and a two-state solution, would impact Jordan particularly because of its geographical, historical and demographic links to the Palestinians."
King Abdullah blames much of the failure of previous reform efforts on those who "have resisted change out of fear of losing privileges they have long enjoyed, while others simply lacked imagination, preferring a status quo they have long enjoyed."
He does not examine a previous reform effort in 2005 led by Marwan Muasher, then deputy prime minister. Mr Muasher's 2008 book, The Arab Centre: The Promise of Moderation, explained in much greater detail the failure of ambitious proposals called the National Agenda that had been backed by the king but floundered amid apathy and opposition.
Among the many lighter passages in King Abdullah's book is an account of his courtship of Queen Rania. At one of their first meetings, she told him: "I've heard things about you."
"I'm no angel," he replied, "but at least half the things you hear are just idle gossip." He goes on to write: "She was not convinced and said she would need time to think about it."
As well as English, the book will also be published in Arabic and seven other languages.
sdevi@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Suha Philip Ma'ayeh in Amman
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Aahid Al Khalediah II, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Whistle, Harry Bentley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup - Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alsaied, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mumayaza, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Medahim, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%20Profile
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km