King holds meetings with heads of state, business leaders and gov’t officials on sidelines of WEF

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with various heads of state, leading businesspeople and representatives on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa being held at the Dead Sea.

King Abdullah held separate meetings with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meetings’ discussions covered Jordan’s ties with these countries, as well as efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.

The Palestinian cause was also discussed, with King Abdullah stressing the need to reach a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas attended the meetings.

King Abdullah, during a separate meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres, discussed developments in the region, and stressed the importance of stepping up international efforts to achieve just and lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The meeting also covered the importance of ending Israeli violations in Jerusalem against Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, the importance of reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the fight against terrorism, among various other regional crises.

Secretary General Guterres commended Jordan’s efforts under the leadership of His Majesty, in hosting refugees, calling on donor countries to support refugee host countries such as Jordan.

King Abdullah also met with the US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism Ted Deutch.

The meeting covered the strategic partnership between Jordan and the US.

King Abdullah expressed his appreciation for the United States’ support for a number of development programmes in Jordan.

Regional issues, especially the peace process, were also discussed. His Majesty stressed the importance of stepping up efforts to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution, arriving at the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In another meeting, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania and HRH Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah met with WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, as well as Hilde Schwab.

The meeting covered Jordan’s ties and partnership with the WEF, which culminated in the Kingdom hosting its 10th WEF on the Middle East and North Africa since 2003, the statement said.

King Abdullah noted the importance of issues being discussed at the forum’s sessions, with the participation of a number of heads of state and over 1,000 business and political leaders, civil society institutions and international and youth organisations from over 50 countries.

King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein also met with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) President Suma Chakrabarti, who is participating in the WEF forum.

The meeting covered cooperation between Jordan and the EBRD, with King Abdullah highlighting the importance of the bank’s investment projects in the Kingdom in the fields of renewable energy, water, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals.

Discussions also addressed the competitive advantages and incentives offered by Jordan’s economy to investors, in addition to Jordan’s strategic location as a gateway to international and regional markets.

King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein, in a separate meeting on Saturday, met with Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov, who delivered a letter to His Majesty from the President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Toqayev.

Discussions covered bilateral ties, with King Abdullah affirming Jordan’s keenness to build on economic, trade and investment cooperation with Kazakhstan.

His Majesty asked the foreign minister to convey his greetings to President Toqayev, also commending the efforts of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev in advancing relations.

His Majesty also met with the Lebanese Minister of National Defence Elias Bou Saab to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.

During the meeting, the King stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in various fields.

King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein met with Guo Ping, the rotating chairman of Huawei Technologies.

The meeting touched on Jordan’s competitive advantages in the ICT sector at the regional level, according to the statement.

Discussions also covered expanding Jordan’s cooperation with Huawei Technologies, with King Abdullah thanking the company for supporting Jordan’s ICT sector by establishing capacity building centres.

King Abdullah, during a discussion with Jordanian entrepreneurs, stressed the importance of nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity, as well as supporting business incubators at universities and enterprises across the governorates.

The meeting brought together young Jordanian entrepreneurs whose 27 start-ups were selected among the WEF’s 2019 list of top 100 Arab start-ups shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

King Abdullah commended the achievements of Jordanian entrepreneurs, stressing that young Jordanians possess the skills and determination needed for success, and must be empowered with the right tools to execute their projects.

His Majesty said that developing the entrepreneurship sector is an ideal solution to provide sustainable employment opportunities and promote the growth of Jordan’s economy.

Additionally, King Abdullah highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in developing an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and innovation.

The entrepreneurs highlighted their experiences in establishing start-ups in the fields of medicine, smart phone applications, digital games, technology, agriculture, e-marketing and education.