Jordan News

AMMAN — Royal Jordan Airlines on Wednesday announced plans to operate two weekly direct flights between Aqaba and Dubai as of June 8, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Chief Commissioner Nasser Shraideh said that the flights will enhance tourism, as the UAE is the biggest investor in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, with a value of $10 billion.

The tourism scene in Jordan has recently shown signs of recovery with growing numbers of tourists, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said on Wednesday, attributing the increase to several factors including the active role played by the private sector.

AMMAN — The Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project (MRAMP) was officially launched on May 17 under an international consortium of experts from Jordan, the US and Italy, seeking to establish a new archaeological museum in Madaba  in order to preserve and protect the rich heritage of Madaba and the surrounding region, while fostering a greater sense of ownership and engagement by the local community, a statement from the organisers said. 

Jordan saw further growth in UK visitor numbers in the first quarter of 2017, January – March, increasing by 15.8 per cent, compared to the same period in 2016.

The swell in travellers follows the announcement that UK tourists to the Hashemite Kingdom also grew by seven per cent in 2016.

JERASH — Preparations for Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts 2017 have begun, triggering criticism from local tour guides over alleged disruption to tourist movements in some parts of the Greco-Roman city.

A local tourist guide in Jerash, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Jordan Times on Monday that the preparations are “too early” and that the festival’s facilities would hinder the movement of visitors and block the view of some monuments. 

AMMAN —  Ramadan evenings kicked off in downtown Amman on Monday with the participation of a number of Islamic troupes from all over the world. 

The event is held as a celebration for Amman’s selection as the Islamic cultural capital, Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) Culture Executive Director Samer Khair Ahmed said. 

Speaking of his group’s recent partnership signed with Jordan’s government, Chief Executive Officer of Airport International Group PSC Kjeld Binger said that it ranked among the top 40 deals reached by both the private and public sectors worldwide.

The partnership exemplifies what is achievable when both sectors come together for a project that would benefit the whole local community.

AMMAN — Amman on Wednesday was officially announced as the capital of Islamic culture for 2017.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) selected Jordan's capital for this year's title as part of a programme that seeks to establish pan-Islamic cultural action, said ISESCO President Abdul Aziz Twaijri.

Frescoes at Beit Ras in Jordan

An ancient tomb has been discovered in Jordan in the northern town of Beit Ras during an excavation project to expand a local waste-water sanitation network.

The tomb includes a cave with two burial chambers.

The larger chamber contains a basalt stone rock-cut tomb decorated with raised etchings of two lion heads and with several human bones enclosed.

A journey through the passageways and open spaces of Petra of Jordan, with a close look at the myth and history of the Nabataean civilization and the rise and fall of the ancient city: Petra

The Jordan Tourism Board has announced 2016 Indian arrival figures for the destination, recording an unprecedented decline in the same day visitor arrivals.

Daily visitors declined by 4.5 per cent, which indicates that visitors are now spending more time in the country.

With the aim of preserving archaeological artifacts at the Jordan Archaeological Museum located at the Amman Citadel, the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA), the Department of Antiquities (DoA) and the Gerda Henkel Foundation (GHF) joined forces in the project “Protection of Cultural Heritage in Jordan”, according to stakeholders.

The number of tourist arrivals in Jordan rose 3.7 percent year-on-year to 588.1 thousand in March of 2017, following a 6.7 percent increase in the previous month. The number of visitors increased the most from: Indonesia (117.8 percent); the United States (11.4 percent) and Saudi Arabia (0.3 percent).

Temperatures are expected to slightly drop on Monday, but they remain 4-6 degrees above their annual average.Therefore, it will continue to be relatively hot in the hilly areas and hot in other parts of the Kingdom.

According to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, blowing dust at times.

AMMAN — The Aqaba Marine Park (AMP) is scheduled to join Jordan's network of nature reserves this year, becoming the country's first marine nature reserve, according to a consultant on coastal management and protection.

The park, located 15 kilometres from downtown Aqaba, was declared a nature reserve by the government in 1997 with the aim of protecting the marine environment from rising pollution resulting from the rapid growth of Aqaba’s population and the expansion of its industrial activities.

AMMAN — Six women from Aqaba will undergo professional diving training this year to become the port city’s first batch of certified female divers, according to the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS).

JREDS is now drawing up the criteria for which women will be accepted into the training programme, according to its Executive Director Ehab Eid.

FLOAT IN A GIANT SALT LAKE

The Dead Sea, bordered by Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, is actually a lake, and quite a salty one at that—around 34 percent saline, almost ten times that of seawater. The bright-blue waters attract many swimmers who want the odd feeling of floating without any effort at all. The Dead Sea's extreme saltiness means that once you wade in, your body instantly bobs to the surface—leaving you free to lie back, relax, and enjoy a soak at the planet's lowest point.

DEAD SEA — “There are things you can do in Jordan that you cannot do anywhere else in the world,” Andrew Evans said to sum up his experience in Jordan after hiking across the country for over 40 days.

Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki on Sunday joined a session, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, that was dedicated to re-launch the southern port city of Aqaba as a major destination for investments and tourism in addition to announcing the Aqaba Special Economic Zone's strategic objectives for 2025.

AMMAN — A “fascination” with the practice of archaeology was one of the driving motives for Marta D’Andrea, an Italian archaeologist from Sapienza University of Rome, to come to Jordan and take part in numerous archaeological projects.

This July, archaeologists in Jordan will begin an underwater search for remains of an early Islamic city.

Located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, modern-day Aqaba is Jordan's only port. In the Middle Ages, the city was known as Ayla. Archaeologists uncovered the ruins of Ayla only in the last 30 years, and now, they want to know if there's more to be found off the coast.

Astrophotography is simply taking a photograph of an object in space, whether it's with a point-and-shoot camera, the Hubble Space Telescope or any other type of camera. And the subject matter can include anything from the moon to the Milky Way. One of the best places to do this in Jordan is at Wadi Rum, so you would enjoy the calmness, Quietness and the clear sky at night because there is no light pollution at Rum area ( the reserve ). Below are some shots that I've taken using my DSLR camera which is Nikon D5300, the best photos were taken using shutter time of 30 seconds, ISO of 3200 and the Minimum Aperture I have which is 3.5 (18mm Nikor Lense). 

AMMAN — The recent discovery of a hidden monument in Petra could help solve some of the mysteries of the Nabataean city, experts said on Monday.

The large platform measures around 56 by 49 metres, and encloses a smaller platform once paved with flagstones, according to a report about the discovery published in the National Geographic magazine.

Aqaba Authority Special Economic Zone launched in collaboration with the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, in the protected area Of Wadi Rum. A hundred of mountain goats (Nubian Ibex - Capra ibex nubiana) donated by the agency earlier, to preserve this endangered animal due to poaching and hunting.

AMMAN — Despite the harsh desert climate, the Nabataean inhabitants of ancient Petra were capable of growing different kinds of agricultural products, and even making wine, according to researcher and archaeologist Ulrich Bellwald.

In a lecture late last week at the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology in Amman on agriculture and wine making in the area, Bellwald presented a winery located in a valley west of “Little Petra” as a model for the Nabataeans’ agricultural production units.

The Dana Reserve is possibly the best known of Jordan's nature reserves. This showplace, set up in 1993, has become an exemplar of how to set up a sustainable, eco­friendly reserve. With its network of guided and unguided hiking trails, its campground, guesthouse and eco-Iodge with their staffs of residents, its dramatic wadis and mountains dropping about 1600 meters from the highest point, there are 320 square kilometers full of things to do and marvel at. Most surprising is not the Nabatean tomb, but the sea urchin fossils, now so far from the sea! Dana's unusual mushroom-shaped rock formations captivate the eye.

AMMAN — The infrastructure of Petra, the capital of the ancient Nabateans, still remains a mystery to most people who visit this heritage site. The focus of tourists when they arrive to Petra is to find splendid monuments, temples, shrines, churches and market places, but the water infrastructure and the way Nabateans preserved water for irrigation and drinking is relatively unknown, noted Ulrich Bellwald, a Swiss archaeologist, conservator and architect.

The Telegraph daily has ranked visiting Wadi Rum in fourth place on a list of "50 greatest adventures to try in your lifetime".
The valley, located 60km to the east of Aqaba, came after the first-placed Lost World and Angel Falls in Venezuela, the Classic Trail in New Zealand and the Red Centre in Australia. 
The British publication quotes British officer T.E Lawrence in its description of Wadi Rum, some 328 south of Amman, who wrote in his book, "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom", about passing through the area several times during the Great Arab Revolt.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa is scheduled to kick off today at the Dead Sea, in Jordan and it will host more than 1000 business and political leaders and representatives from civil society, international organizations, youth and the media from over 50 countries, organizers said today.

AMMAN — Prompted by a lack of information on the Gulf of Aqaba’s harmful creatures, two local conservationists have released the first guide on poisonous marine species inhabiting Aqaba waters.

With over 500 fish species represented in the Gulf of Aqaba, the sea is considered “friendly” due to the presence of very few hazardous marine animals, but its usually-calm water has left many divers and beach goers with serious injuries because they had unknowingly gotten into direct contact with toxic and harmful creatures.

AMMAN — Nature inspectors recorded 280 cases of illegal hunting, possession and trade of wild birds and animals last year, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Foxes constituted the majority of the seized and confiscated animals found with violators, according to the RSCN, which said it has seized and confiscated 10 foxes over the past year.

AMMAN — Marine conservationists are currently rallying support to list the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba, located some 330km south of Amman, cover almost half of Aqaba’s coastline, offering 21 diving locations for the exploration of diverse, colourful and unique coral reefs, Executive Director of the Royal Marine Conservation Society, Ehab Eid, said on Monday.

Jordan ranked as the 38th safest destination for tourists globally in 2017, and the 5th among regional countries, a recent report by the World Economic Forum stated.

Finland topped the 136 countries listed in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017, followed by the UAE, Iceland, Oman and Hong Kong.

Jordan Tours: AMMAN — Jordan has topped a list of 35 of the “World’s Best Places to Travel in 2017” compiled by travel website Matador Network.

The website, the “world’s largest independent travel publisher”, described Jordan as a “completely safe oasis isolated from the instability of the region”.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab Tuesday said Jordan's largest tourism investments are located in Amman, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, pointing out that the value of current investments in Aqaba and the Dead Sea amount to about JOD16 billion.

AMMAN — The Jordan Times’ reporter Rula Samain on Monday will launch a book that presents and evaluates Jordan’s interfaith initiatives and highlights the Muslim-Christian coexistence which “distinguishes Jordan from other countries in the Middle East”.

Titled “Fortress of Peace: Jordan’s Interfaith Drive and Model of Coexistence”, the book, written in English, comes as the result of years of research on the subject. 

Samain has been reporting for The Jordan Times since 2005, mainly specialised in inter-religious dialogue, a beat she embarked on in 2007.

Jubeiha Amusement Park, one of Amman’s oldest entertainment facilities, has closed down permanently due to the deteriorated state of its rides and structures, a municipal official said on Tuesday.

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Tuesday announced the closure of the amusement park for safety reasons, indicating that most of the park’s rides and structures had exceeded their lifespan.

AMMAN —  As the national crackdown on violations on water resources and networks enters its fourth year, authorities on Saturday announced that over 30,000 violations on water mains and resources have been prevented.

The campaign, started by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in the summer of 2013, has seen the retrieval of millions of cubic metres of stolen water and the prevention of the drilling of illegal wells, a source at the ministry said.

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Hani Mulki Tuesday opened the adventure travel conference, which is organised by the Jordan Tourism Board and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

AMMAN — For the first time ever, archaeologists will carry out an underwater excavation in July in the Gulf of Aqaba, hoping to discover the sunken ruins of the early Islamic city of Ayla, a marine conservationist said on Thursday.

 AMMAN — By developing joint tourism promotional offers, Jordan and Egypt can exploit untapped opportunities to boost bilateral and inbound tourism to both countries, officials from both sides agreed.

Speaking at a session organised by the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) on Sunday, officials said the “strong” and “strategic” relations binding the two countries were the foundations for cooperation in various fields, including tourism.

AMMAN — Excavations in the lowlands of Edom show conclusively that the Iron Age social complexity and emergence of the Kingdom of Edom, known from biblical texts, began 500-400 years earlier than previously thought, according to a Jordanian archaeologist.