Royal Court chief inspects Royal initiative projects in Maan to boost development, tourism
The Jordan Times
AMMAN — Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Yousef Issawi, who also heads the committee overseeing the implementation of His Majesty’s initiatives, on Saturday inspected several Royal Initiative projects in Maan Governorate.
The visit focused on following up on projects under construction, ensuring the sustainability of operating ones, and advancing local development through job creation, heritage preservation, and the promotion of tourism and culture.
Issawi toured the El Zay Garment Factory in Shobak, which His Majesty King Abdullah inaugurated in 2008 as the first branch factory under the productive branches initiative.
Expanded in 2022 to 1,100 square meters, the facility currently employs 192 Jordanians from the surrounding area. He was accompanied by Minister of Labour Khaled Bakar, Maan Governor Khaled Hajaj, and other local officials, according to a Royal Court statement.
In Petra District, Issawi inspected the headquarters of the Arab Society for Culture and Civilisation Communication (Beit Al Anbat), a 378-square-metre project that includes offices, a hall for traditional fashion and handicrafts, and service facilities. The project was launched following a meeting in early 2023 between His Majesty, HRH Crown Prince Hussein, and local community leaders.
The tour also included the restoration of the Founding King’s Palace in Maan, inaugurated by King Abdullah and the Crown Prince on March 1, 2024. Built in 1920 as the residence of King Abdullah I at the Maan Hijaz Railway Station, the palace was the site where Jordan’s first national government was established. Nowadays, it houses artefacts from the Great Arab Revolt, personal belongings of the founding king, and historical railway items, alongside a new visitor reception hall.
CEO of the Jordan Heritage Revival Company Muayyad Abu Rumman outlined the operational plan and upcoming partnerships, noting that a new programme retracing the route of the Great Arab Revolt would be launched in October. The project has rehabilitated 12 buildings on 27 dunums at the Maan station, transforming the site into a national museum.
To ensure sustainability, an agreement was signed between the Jordan Hijaz Railway Corporation and the Jordan Heritage Revival Company, under the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, to operate the site as part of a tourism plan linking it with major attractions in southern Jordan, including the Sharif Hussein Bin Ali House Museum in Aqaba and the Great Arab Revolt train experience in Wadi Rum.
Issawi stressed that the Royal Initiatives embody His Majesty’s commitment to improving services, advancing development, and expanding job opportunities for youth across the Kingdom.