Day: May 16, 2023

Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday met at the Grand Serail with Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, with whom he discussed preparations underway for Lebanon’s participation in the thirty-second regular session of the Arab League Council’s meeting at the Summit level, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19. On emerging, Caretaker Bou Habib said he will leave on Tuesday for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to represent Lebanon in the meetings of Arab foreign ministers ahead of the summit. The Lebanese delegation to the Summit includes Caretaker Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, Industry Georges Bouchikian, Trade and Economy Minister Amin Salam, Tourism Walid Nassar, and Agriculture Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, in addition to Premier Mikati’s Diplomatic Adviser, Ambassador Boutros Asaker. The delegation will be joined by the Lebanese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fawzi Kabbara, and the Lebanese Ambassador to the Arab League, Ali Al-Halabi. On the other hand, Prime Minister Mikati met at the Grand Serail with Caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, who said on emerging that he briefed the Premier on the situation of the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of plans and projects implemented with donor agencies and other ministries, as well as on agricultural sector related affairs. Mikati later welcomed at the Serail Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, in the presence of President of the Economic and Social Council of Lebanon Charles Arbid, President of Beirut Arab University, Dr. Amr El-Adawi, Vice President of Tripoli-branch Beirut Arab University, Dr. Khaled Baghdadi, and President of the Lebanese-French Businessmen Association in France, Antoine Manasseh, and others. Following the meeting, Minister Makary said that the delegation briefed the Premier on the outcome of the recent conference held by the Beirut Arab University in Tripoli, and its issued recommendations that contribute to improving the conditions of the northern city and helping it regain its historic role. For his part, Manasseh thanked, on behalf of the French-Lebanese businessmen, Beirut Arab University for hosting the conference. The PM also received MP Haider Nasser, with whom he discussed developmental affairs related to the city of Tripoli.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze Community, Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, on Tuesday welcomed at the Druze Community House in Beirut, the Japanese Ambassador to Lebanon, Magushi Masayuki. Discussions reportedly touched on general issues and the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Tuesday received at his Yarzeh office, MP Fadi Karam, with whom he discussed the current general situation in the country. Maj. Gen. Aoun also received the Honorary Consul of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Lebanon, Richard Chelala, and they discussed various issues.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, on Tuesday, received at his residence in Yarzeh, Caretaker Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar. Discussions between the pauir reportedly touched on the current local and regional developments, bilateral relations between the two countries, and an array of issues of common interest. Ambassador Bukhari later received the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Monsignor Paolo Borgia.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday was briefed on the government’s progress in implementing the Economic Modernisation Vision in the first four months of 2023, according to a royal court statement. During a meeting attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and held at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah stressed the importance of implementing a comprehensive communication plan on the vision, to keep citizens informed on progress, so they can feel its impact on the economy and job opportunities. His Majesty called for accelerating the launch of the electronic evaluation system, and publishing regular reports on progress in implementation. The King said any challenges facing the implementation of the vision must be addressed, highlighting the importance of enhancing efficiency at units affiliated with the Prime Ministry and other ministries, and equipping them with qualified human resources. His Majesty stressed the need to put clear performance indicators for initiatives and priorities. Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said the government is keen on ensuring the vision’s implementation within a specific timeframe, including the allocation of JD670 million in the 2023 budget. He noted that the government has achieved progress in a number of economic indicators, namely recording a real growth rate of 2.5 per cent in 2022, adding that the government seeks to reach a 2.7 per cent growth rate this year. Khasawneh added that growth in national exports reached 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, while tourism income reached JD1.2 billion during the same period. Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Public Sector Modernisation Nasser Shraideh said the government prepared detailed cards for every priority on the modernisation programme, in addition to publishing monthly and quarterly reports to follow up on progress. According to Shraideh, the government completed a number of priorities under the eight drivers of the vision, including endorsing the investment promotion strategy for 2023-2026, and activating the investment services platform, which offers 68 electronic services. The government has also endorsed the national exports strategy 2023-2025, aimed at increasing national exports by 5 per cent annually, has started to draft the national mining strategy, and is working on developing an interactive map for mining in Jordan.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Corporate executives within the mining realm have emphasized that Jordan holds immense potential for amplifying the sector’s input to the nation’s fiscal tapestry, bolstering growth trajectories, job creation, global competitiveness, and fostering product and industry diversification. As part of their engagement in the “Investment Horizons in the Mining Sector” panel at the 4th Conference for French-Speaking Business Owners in the Dead Sea on Tuesday, the attendees projected a thriving mining sector in the near future, fueled by rising demand from industrial, agricultural, and technology-driven domains. Currently, the mining sector contributes 2.2 percent of the GDP, amounting to 700 million dinars, with prospects of reaching 2.1 billion dinars within the upcoming decade. Over 9,000 workers, constituting 0.6 percent of the kingdom’s workforce, find employment in the mining sector, with projections anticipating a surge to 27,000 workers in the next ten years. Sector exports currently stand at roughly one billion dinars, with expectations of climbing to 3.4 billion dinars, in line with the economic modernization vision. The conference is orchestrated by the Jordanian Businessmen Association, in collaboration with a consortium of French-speaking entrepreneurs, and boasts the participation of 200 businesspersons, investors, and economic mavens across diverse fields, alongside an array of local, Arab, and global companies and institutions. CEO of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), Abdul Wahhab Al-Rawad, underscored the mining sector’s prominent role as one of Jordan’s largest industrial sectors, with significant contributions to the national economy. He stressed Jordan’s mineral and natural resource abundance, including phosphates, and revealed that 60 percent of the JPMC’s output is destined for export, while the remainder serves local enterprises. Al-Rawad outlined the company’s clear objectives to boost domestic consumption through manufacturing industries and expansion within the kingdom. He shared the company’s intent to establish partnerships and capitalize on opportunities, particularly with Turkey and India, emphasizing the vast investment potential within the unique Jordanian phosphate sector. Al-Rawad expressed confidence in Jordan’s ability to rank globally in various industries, especially phosphoric acid production. He referenced a study to form a joint manufacturing company with the Arab Potash Company and pledged the Jordanian phosphate company’s commitment to launch the aluminum bromide project. Al-Rawad highlighted the Company’s strong focus on environmental considerations, mentioning the 32-million-dinar rehabilitation of the Rusaifa mines into gardens and the gypsum mountain restoration in Aqaba. He also addressed the phosphate washing process’s high water consumption and shared plans to establish a water recycling project for use in the company’s other industries. Participants stressed the need to incentivize investment in the mining sector, given the abundant mineral resources and the necessity for energy price reviews and incentives. Arab Potash Company CEO, Maen Ensour, confirmed the mining sector’s prominence in the economic modernization vision and noted ongoing collaboration between sector companies and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to devise a ten-year plan for elevating companies and their contributions to the national economy and profitability. Ensour discussed the pivotal role of Jordanian mining companies in bolstering the national economy, impacting citizens’ living standards, generating employment opportunities, enhancing competitiveness on regional and global scales, and cultivating human capital. He revealed the potash company’s plans to generate knowledge, develop products, manufacture new ones, and penetrate new markets, as Jordan ranks sixth globally in potash production. He shared the company’s intentions to construct a chemical and fertilizer research center in partnership with an American university and attract Jordanian expertise in the field, with an estimated completion timeline of two years. Ensour emphasized the company’s current focus on high-value industries and the imminent announcement of advanced industries reliant on local raw materials.

Source: Jordan News Agency