Madaba garment factory ‘embodies success of Royal initiative’

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday expressed his pride in workers' efforts and his appreciation of their contribution to Jordan's development and progress. 

The King made his remarks during a visit to Al Safi Garment Factory in Dleilet Al Hamaideh area in Madaba on the occasion of the Labour Day, according to a Royal Court statement. 

His Majesty, during a tour of the factory established under a Royal initiative in 2009, chatted with workers at the facility on the first working day, following their celebration of the Labour Day, which highlights workers' role in enhancing development process and national production.

The Royal initiative, dubbed “productive branches”, is aimed at addressing poverty and unemployment, especially in remote areas, and providing training and jobs for young people in areas characterised by high levels of poverty and unemployment.

The Monarch also checked on the factory's production line and listened to success stories of the 400 workers in the plant, 90 per cent of whom are females and 16 workers who are persons with disabilities.

King Abdullah expressed his admiration of the accomplishments achieved by factory workers, along with other workers and employees across the Kingdom, who had received the necessary training to obtain jobs that would secure them a decent living and career development, the statement added.

His Majesty was also briefed by Farhan Afram, the factory’s manager, on the work mechanism at the facility which operates within the qualified industrial zones system, and currently produces Nike sportswear. The factory’s total production is exported to the US under the free trade agreement with Jordan.

Afram also reviewed the factory’s strategy based on providing a healthy working environment and appropriate circumstances for its workers, in addition to social security and health insurance and free transportation, which positively reflect on productivity and motivates workers to offer their best.

Under Royal directives, the factory will be equipped with air conditioners to provide better working environment for workers, which would further improve their performance and achievement. 

The Royal Court and the Public Works and Housing Ministry recently have implemented a project to asphalt the factory’s main yard and streets leading to it.

Under the productive branches initiative, the Royal Court provided a four-dunum plot of land to establish the factory at a cost of JD1.37 million, following an agreement between the Labour Ministry and Al Safi Company for Clothes owned by the international MAS Active Company for Clothes in Sri Lanka. 

The initiative, based on opening productive outlets in remote areas to serve as branches for factories based in industrial estates, seeks to attract investments in the targeted areas and improve their economic conditions.

His Majesty was accompanied by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan, Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi and other senior officials.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Issawi said the factory in Madaba was not the first to be set up as part of the initiative, noting that 16 other facilities have been established previously, securing more than 3,300 jobs.

In this regard, he referred to a factory in Shobak which employs 130 females from the local community, and another one which was expanded in Tafileh to provide 250 jobs for local females, adding that work is under way to establish other factories in other regions.