Jordan News

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairy, participated today in the work of a scientific symposium organized by the Aqaba University of Technology under the title (Aqaba and its role in strengthening Jordanian-Saudi relations economically and investment).
The symposium was held under the patronage of the Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Engineer Nayef Al-Bakhit, and in the presence of the Sultanate of Oman’s Ambassador to Jordan Hilal bin Marhoon Al-Maamari, the Egyptian Consul in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, Sami Saad Murad, and a number of members of the Arab diplomatic corps in Jordan.
Ambassador Al-Sudairy said that this symposium highlights the role of the Aqaba region in strengthening Saudi-Jordanian relations economically and investment, pointing out that Aqaba is a model for a tourist city overlooking a Gulf that enjoys a beautiful nature and a natural marine reserve that is considered a habitat for important marine creatures characterized by fish diversity, coral diversity and many rare water birds In addition to paying attention to clean energy sources.
In his speech, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Amman, Nayef Al-Sudairy, extended his warmest congratulations and blessings to His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein and his Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah, and to all the brotherly Jordanian people on the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
He thanked the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, the Aqaba University of Technology and the organizers of the symposium, which highlights the role of Aqaba in strengthening Saudi-Jordanian relations economically and investment.
The Saudi ambassador praised the city of Aqaba and said its son is a model for a tourist city overlooking a gulf that enjoys a beautiful nature and a natural marine reserve that is home to important marine creatures characterized by a diversity of fish, coral diversity and many rare water birds, in addition to the interest of the region’s authority in the presence of clean sources of energy production.
Al-Sudairi pointed to His Majesty King Abdullah II’s support for the Green Middle East initiative launched by His Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, pointing out that the Jordanian-Saudi relations are distinguished by their depth and solid and authentic strategic historical ties, since the era of the founders of the two countries, may God have mercy on them, until the era of my master. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his brother, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, may God protect them.
He referred to the level of coordination between the two countries at the highest levels in all issues and fields, pointing to the presence of the Saudi-Jordanian Coordination Council, the Saudi-Jordanian Joint Committee, the Saudi-Jordanian Joint Business Council, and many agreements and memoranda of understanding such as the electrical connection and others, in addition to Saudi Arabia’s hosting of many highly qualified people. And the experiences of recovering Jordanians working in Saudi Arabia, whose number exceeded half a million.
Saudi Arabia is also the first trading partner for Jordan. The volume of trade of the two countries last year amounted to 5 billion dollars, and the Kingdom tops the list of investors in Jordan with about 13 billion dollars, and we hope to exceed this number to make the Kingdom the largest investor in Jordan. The Kingdom is one of the largest investors in Jordan. The three largest investing countries in Jordan, according to the reports of the Saudi General Investment Authority.
Regarding the grants provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jordan, Al-Sudairy said that, through the Saudi Fund for Development, grants and loans were provided to the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, amounting in total to eight billion riyals, from the most important grant for the implementation of the desert road project, which cost 520 million Saudi riyals, in addition to the road linking Al-Omari Center The border with Zarqa, where these roads are considered one of the important international roads with active commercial traffic in Jordan.
He pointed out that the Kingdom established a new stage in attracting Saudi investment to Jordan through the establishment of the Saudi-Jordanian Investment Fund Company in 2017, with a capital of $3 billion, during the visit of His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him, to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and his meeting with his brother, His Majesty King Abdul Aziz. The second God, may God protect him, and the Public Investment Fund in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia owns (90%) of the fund company’s capital, in partnership with 16 Jordanian banks, which own (10%) of the company’s capital. Recently, the company’s capital was raised by an additional 100 million dinars.
And he indicated that it was recently approved to establish a health care project, with an initial investment of about $400 million, consisting of a university hospital with a capacity of 300 beds and 60 outpatient clinics, and a medical university with a capacity of 600 seats, at a rate of 100 seats per academic year. The vital project, the first of its kind in Jordan, and this project is actually the first of the projects, as a project to build and rehabilitate a railway linking Aqaba with Ma’an and the establishment of a land port in Ma’an was previously proposed, but it is currently being re-examined to consider that it includes the capital, Amman.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman – may God grant him long life – also directed the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action to contribute to filling the acute shortage of medical oxygen and its supplies in the Jordanian Ministry of Health, due to the Corona pandemic “Covid-19”.
He pointed out that the trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Jordan was not positively affected by the pandemic, as the trade exchange between the two countries increased, according to the figures issued by the Department of Statistics, and this facilitated the flow of goods, which contributed to alleviating the impact of the pandemic on the trade exchange between the two countries, especially with the existence of agreed work mechanisms. It is already unaffected by crises.
He noted the participation of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Khasin as a guest of honor at the G20 summit last year, as an expression of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to enable the brothers in Jordan to achieve the greatest possible benefit by presenting views and issues of concern to them directly at the summit table, and emphasizing the importance of the role Jordan on the international scene through creative initiatives, international participation, and well-known initiatives launched by His Majesty the King that serve the Arab public interest.
Al-Sudairy affirmed that under the current circumstances, which are not hidden from everyone, that the Palestinian cause is undoubtedly our cause and the cause of Arabs and Muslims, as mentioned by my Lord, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on many occasions, and the Kingdom’s position on the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people has been consistent since the era of His Majesty the founding King Abdul Aziz bin Abd Rahman Al-Faisal Al Saud until today, and throughout the history of the Palestinian cause, the Kingdom has been on the side of the Palestinian people, and the main supporter of all efforts aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive solution, enabling the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. In accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, the Kingdom also supports the guardianship of His Majesty King Abdullah bin Al Hussein, may God protect him, over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

For his part, Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Engineer Nayef Al-Bakhit, stressed the importance of pushing investment between the two brotherly countries to a high level of official interest, which will certainly lead to economic prosperity, social well-being, security stability and maximizing joint relations.
In turn, the President of Aqaba University of Technology, Dr. Muhammad Sanad Abu Darwish, praised the Jordanian-Saudi brotherly relations, pointing out that holding this symposium comes within a series of cultural and scientific events held by the university to celebrate the centenary of the Jordanian state, in addition to strengthening Jordanian-Saudi relations economically and investment.