His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday visited a paper cup factory at Maan Industrial City, which is a project funded through the Inhad national self-employment programme and founded by Firas Sabha and Ahmad Fanatseh.

The factory, which has provided 35 job opportunities for the area's residents, was one of King Abdullah's stops on his tour of the southern region.

During the visit, His Majesty was briefed on the various stages of producing and manufacturing paper cups by Fanatseh.

The King expressed pride in young Jordanians' resilience, determination, and ability to succeed, noting that when he last spoke to Sabha and Fanatseh, the project was only an idea, but it is now a fully operating factory through Inhad.

Sabha and Fanatseh obtained a JD250,000 loan through Inhad, which enabled them to enter the labour market.

A total of 9,000 applications have been submitted to Inhad since its launch last September, all of which undergo evaluation.

Some 345 people have completed training under Inhad at the Business Development Centre, while 100 have completed feasibility studies through IRADA Centre, and 17 have received initial approval for financing by banks, at a total value of nearly JD500,000.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kemal Al Nasser, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti accompanied His Majesty on the visit.