His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, on Tuesday visited Ajloun Governorate, where they were briefed on the designs of the Ajloun cable car plan, signalling the start of work on the project which becomes operational in mid-2021 as part of a plan to enhance the Suwan development zone in the governorate.

The visit also included a stop at the Ajloun Business Incubator, which works with young entrepreneurs and supports small- and medium-sized enterprises.

King Abdullah also inaugurated the Zaha Cultural Centre-Ajloun, established to hone children’s talents and nurture their creativity, targeting ages from three to 16 years old.

During the visit, His Majesty met with the president and members of Ajloun’s governorate council, as well as heads of municipalities in the governorate.

The King also met with leading figures and representatives of the governorate, joining them for lunch.

Speaking at the meeting with governorate council members and mayors, His Majesty said he is proud to be among the people of Ajloun.

Noting the cable car project and the other projects he visited, the King said he felt proud when he met with enthusiastic young Jordanians in the governorate.

His Majesty called for capitalising on the advantages offered by Ajloun in tourism and agriculture, stressing that the governorate has great potential and all must work together towards Ajloun’s progress.

The King underscored the importance of having a comprehensive plan for the governorate that identifies priorities and the role of each party in order to move forward with projects in Ajloun.

Speaking at the meeting, Governorate Council President Mohammad Nour Smadi gave a briefing on Ajloun’s development plan, its projects, and its experience in decentralisation.

Smadi noted that His Majesty’s visit sends a message of support to decentralisation, adding that the government should make this topic a priority and conduct field visits to governorates to ensure plans are implemented on the ground.

Speaking on behalf of the heads of Ajloun Governorate’s five municipalities, Ajloun Mayor Hassan Zghoul stressed the importance of having development projects that generate revenue for municipalities, suggesting a number of investment projects.

Members of the governorate council also presented their proposals for development projects in Ajloun, suggesting solutions to address some of the issues that the governorate faces.

Also speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said the government will take note of the various comments and proposals presented, adding that the experience of decentralisation so far has not been up to the aspirations outlined by His Majesty.

The government seeks to review the law on decentralisation to reach a more effective formula, in coordination with governorate councils, with the goal of submitting it to Parliament, Prime Minister Razzaz added.

The prime minister highlighted the government’s projects and plans to enhance services in Ajloun, stressing the importance of the cable car project, which is part of a wider plan to attract investments and create jobs by bolstering Ajloun as a key tourist destination.

The cable car route is planned to extend over 2,850 meters from Suwan area to Ajloun Castle, with 40 cars each accommodating eight passengers.

The JD10-million cable car project is part of the first phase of a program to enhance the Suwan development zone in Ajloun, which is expected to create nearly 50 job opportunities.

The second phase entails establishing a conference center, a five-star hotel, and a number of restaurants at a cost of JD50 million. It will be implemented in partnership with the private sector and is expected to generate nearly 700 job opportunities.

For his part, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi noted recent initiatives implemented in Ajloun upon Royal directives, such as establishing housing units, schools, youth centers, and public parks, as well as providing funding for income-generating projects.

A number of new projects will also be implemented in coordination with the governorate council to address Ajloun’s development needs, Issawi added.

Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kemal Al Nasser, Adviser to His Majesty for Tribal Affairs Saad Hayel Srour, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti, and Ajloun Governor Mohammad Ghassib attended the meeting.