AMMAN — The Cabinet, during a session chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Wednesday, endorsed the validating reasons for the 2025 amendments to the Military Service and Reserve Service Law, paving the way for its referral to the Legislative and Opinion Bureau for further action.

 

The law has been given the urgency status, enabling its submission to the Lower House once Parliament reconvenes for its upcoming session, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

The move follows Crown Prince Hussein’s recent announcement regarding the reactivation of the National Service Programme.

 

During a previous Cabinet meeting, prime minister said that the government, in collaboration with the Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF), would complete all necessary preparations ahead of the programme’s scheduled launch in February 2026.

 

Funding for the initiative will be drawn from 2025’s emergency allocations and integrated into the 2026 state budget, the statement said.

 

The Cabinet also approved the 2025 bylaw for the fund for supporting vocational and technical education. The legislation is aimed at bolstering the fund’s role in creating employment, promoting productive engagement, and supporting educational and training initiatives.

 

The fund will provide financing for various projects and production branches, particularly in rural, Badia, and remote areas, in line with directives issued by His Majesty King Abdullah. These efforts aim to generate local employment and reduce regional disparities, according to the statement.

 

As part of the productive branches initiative, the government will subsidise workers by covering 50 per cent of the minimum wage, alongside JD25 towards social security contributions and an additional JD25 for transportation.

 

To date, the fund has helped create nearly 10,000 job opportunities, with approximately 95 per cent of these positions secured by women in rural and Badia regions, the statement said.

 

Green hydrogen

 

As part of Jordan’s strategy to position itself as a regional energy hub, the Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and China’s United Energy Group. The agreement focuses on feasibility studies for a green hydrogen project, particularly in the field of green methanol production.

 

The MoU forms part of broader efforts to attract green energy investment, leverage available incentives, localise clean industry, and generate employment, according to the statement.

 

In support of tourism development, the Cabinet authorised the Jordan Free and Development Zones Group to proceed with partial financing of several key projects in Ajloun and the Dead Sea region in 2025. These include infrastructure work for Ajloun Forest Reserve (Phases I and II), a visitor centre and trail connecting to the historic castle, as well as the Dead Sea public beach project, a beachfront park, and the rehabilitation of surrounding structures.