AMMAN — HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, president of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement to implement and manage the "IRADA" programme for 2025, supported by a JD2.95 million funding commitment.

 

IRADA, a national government initiative launched by the Ministry of Planning in 2002, has been implemented by the RSS since 2006 as part of the Economic and Social Productivity Enhancement Programme, which embodies the Royal vision to address the Kingdom's development challenges, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

 

Princess Sumaya stressed that the agreement builds on IRADA's nearly 20-year track record of success under RSS management. 

 

She highlighted the programme's recent expansion to include an entrepreneurship and innovation component, initially targeting the governorates of Ajloun, Zarqa and Aqaba.

 

The new component aims to empower youth to develop innovative entrepreneurial ideas addressing economic and environmental challenges, particularly in sectors aligned with the target regions' comparative advantages.

 

Toukan cited "significant" achievements through IRADA's 27 centres across all governorates in the past year. 

 

The centres prepared 2,266 economic feasibility studies and supported the establishment of 1,567 projects.

 

The programme connected 354 recent graduates with public and private sector training opportunities, issued 75 compliance certificates for various project products, and organised three entrepreneurship hackathons.

 

The programme provides technical support services for individual projects and technical specifications for charitable associations, cooperatives and youth clubs. 

 

It also introduces quality concepts and applications for SMEs in areas such as Global Gap, HACCP and ISO standards, while developing a fellowship programme.

 

IRADA implements a food product quality control project enabling home-based businesses to develop their products, enhance marketing capabilities, and boost competitiveness through laboratory testing at RSS facilities and compliance certification.