Second batch of Jordanian engineers arrive in Amman after Tengiz incident

By JT - Jul 05,2019 - Last updated at Jul 05,2019

Jordanian engineers are received by Ahed Sweidat (third from left), the director of the consulate affairs department at the Foreign Ministry, as they return from Kazakhstan on Thursday (Photo courtesy of Foreign Ministry)

AMMAN — A second batch of 21 Jordanian engineers who work in Kazakhstan returned to the Kingdom on Thursday on an open-ended vacation until security and stability are restored in the area of their workplace, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah.

Five Jordanian engineers working at a large Middle Eastern construction company in Kazakhstan sustained minor injuries earlier this week after they, along with other Arab nationals, were attacked by local employees due to what was reported to be a "personal dispute".

Circulated videos at the time purpotedly showed employees being beaten up at a Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) site in Tengiz, 2,200km from the capital Astana, which employs 107 Jordanian nationals.

Deputising for Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Ahed Sweidat, director of the consulate affairs department at the ministry, received the engineers at Queen Alia International Airport.

For their part, the Jordanian employees expressed their gratitude for His Majesty King Abdullah and HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

Crown Prince Hussein had directed the prime minister and the foreign minister to take all measures required to ensure the Jordanian engineers’ security and safety.

The ministry had also tasked Jordanian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Yousef Abdul Ghani to visit the location of the incident and contact local officials, thus ensuring the necessary protection was provided to the Jordanian engineers.

The engineers’ return to the Kingdom followed an agreement with the company’s administration to provide their workers with an open-ended vacation and secure transportation home via private plane.

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