The Hashemites

HTU, also marking the 10th anniversary of its founding this year, was established under the vision of the Crown Prince to deliver innovative, hands-on learning, industry-ready technical education, and strategic industry partnerships to meet the evolving needs of the job market.

Speaking at the ceremony, HTU President Ismael Hinti traced HTU’s evolution since its origins at the King Hussein Business Park to its current status as a prominent applied university serving some 3,000 students from governorates across the Kingdom, empowering them with the practical and technological skills needed to tackle real-world challenges.

Hinti also announced the launch of the Al Hussein Technical University Endowment, which aims to expand HTU’s scholarship programmes that currently support more than 1000 students at the university. HTU aims to double the impact of these programmes in the coming years, creating equal opportunities for more talented and driven students.

The new endowment fund strengthens the sustainability of HTU’s long-term mission by broadening access to technical education for talented youth. The initiative anchors a culture of sustainable giving at the university, ensuring HTU’s educational impact will endure for future generations.

The King discussed his recent visit to the United Kingdom, aimed at boosting investment in Jordan, and emphasised the need to strengthen the national economy and build global economic partnerships.

In this context, His Majesty outlined plans for upcoming visits to several key countries, aimed at establishing new market access for Jordanian exports and attracting high-value investments.

Speaking at the outreach meeting, Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said the government is moving ahead with the Aqaba-Maan Dry Port, which will serve as a logistics and industrial hub linked to the Aqaba-Shidiyeh railway project. Hassan said it will receive government support to ensure private sector viability, stressing the need to integrate Aqaba Port and the Maan Dry Port under a unified development framework.

The prime minister outlined government decisions aimed at addressing investment challenges in the Maan Development Zone, such as reducing land prices and electricity costs. He also highlighted new steps to support the revival of Petra’s tourism sector and restore it as a top global tourism destination, including hosting events to drive tourism and bolster the local economy.

Prime Minister Hassan announced that work on the first comprehensive school transportation project, connecting Maan and southern governorates, will commence at the start of the next academic year, with future expansion plans linking it to central and northern governorates. He highlighted the completion of five new schools in Maan, and ongoing work on a further six expected to be completed next year.

Regarding Maan Military Hospital, the prime minister said work on the main building has concluded, with the Royal Medical Services in the process of supplying equipment, and that it is expected to be operational next year. He added that the blood bank and outpatient clinic building at Maan Public Hospital have been completed, and construction has begun on a diabetes and endocrinology centre, at a cost of five million dinars.

For his part, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi spoke about the implementation of a number of key Royal initiatives in Maan, particularly in the education, youth, health, social development, tourism, income-generating projects, and municipal services sectors.

During the meeting, speakers outlined the governorate’s most pressing needs and challenges, and urged key upgrades in health, education, agriculture, water, transport, infrastructure, and local development, as well as support for military retirees and women’s empowerment. They also expressed their appreciation for the King’s continued support of the governorate and its people.

Prior to the meeting, His Majesty visited Al Qantara Centre for Human Resources Development and was briefed on its programmes and services, which have served around 51,000 people across Maan and the Southern Badia region.

The King toured the centre’s facilities, which include English language classrooms, a music room, and technical training labs for electronics, programming, and smart systems design.

Speaking with youth who use the centre, His Majesty heard how they are benefitting from its programmes and services, and building on their experiences for the advancement of their local communities.

The King warned of the dangers of Israel’s unilateral measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, annexation of land, and expansion of settlements, underscoring the need to put an end to Israeli violations of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Royal Decree approved the appointment of the following:

Walid Masri as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration

Muhannad Shehadeh as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Economic Affairs

Azmi Mahafzah as Minister of Education and Human Resource Development

The ministers were sworn in before His Majesty King Abdullah II.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi attended the swearing-in.

The King warned of the danger of unrest in the region being exploited to create new facts on the ground in Jerusalem, noting the risk of the conflict spreading as a result of Israel’s continued escalation in the West Bank and attempts to annex land and expand settlements there.

The meeting—attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy—also covered the importance of committing to the implementation of all phases of the comprehensive peace plan in Gaza.

The King directed the government to prepare and implement plans to strengthen strategic energy reserves, enhance national energy system readiness, and ensure its long-term sustainability and ability to cope with various global shifts.

Speaking about food security, His Majesty emphasised the importance of maintaining robust strategic food reserves of grains and essential commodities, and of refining management mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of supplies.

The King also called for expanding private sector partnerships in the storage and transport sectors to reinforce the Kingdom’s food security framework and goals.

The attendees praised the King’s ongoing commitment to connecting with retired members of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and security agencies.

The King also reviewed the progress of operational, training, and logistical matters, the level of combat readiness, and development plans and programmes aimed at strengthening the brigade’s capabilities and enhancing the skills required to carry out its duties, in line with the JAF’s modernisation and development plans.