His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated Al Junaid Classic Fashion Factory in Ajloun Governorate, which offers 700 job opportunities for the local community.

King Abdullah also visited the Vocational Training Institute in Ajloun, where 393 students are currently receiving training.

Al Junaid Classic Fashion Factory was established at a cost of JD3 million by an Indian investor as part of the second phase of the Productive Branches Initiative, launched in 2008 in Shobak District.

His Majesty toured the factory and was briefed on the various processes of apparel manufacturing to produce clothing for a number of international brands.

A total of 443 employees from the local community currently work at the factory, and it will expand to hire at full capacity.

The King was briefed by Labour Minister Samir Muard on plans within the Productive Branches Initiative, which entails establishing factories, especially in the garment industry, to manufacture products for exporting to international markets.

Annual exports from the garment industry amount to around JD1.3 billion.

K.S. Sanal Kumar, chairman and managing director of the Irbid-based Classic Fashion Apparel Industry company, briefed His Majesty on the Ajloun factory, which has an area of 600,000 square metres.

The factory forms the second phase of the company’s investments in Jordan, and includes a crèche for the children of female employees that can accommodate 100 children, Kumar said, adding that the factory also includes a fully equipped medical clinic.

The King spoke to a number of women employed at the factory about their jobs and the improvement to their living standards.

His Majesty laid the cornerstone for the factory during a visit to Ajloun in 2017.

At the Vocational Training Institute, the King toured some of its workshops.

The institute’s director, Imad Smadi, briefed His Majesty on the institute’s programmes, noting that it includes 13 workshops specialised in various sectors.

The King called for expanding vocational training programmes and nurturing the talents of excelling students by providing advanced internship programmes and building on their expertise to enable them to secure job opportunities.

His Majesty also directed Royal Hashemite Court officials to ensure all the institute’s workshops are fully equipped to provide the best training, and to provide means of transport for students who live in remote areas.

A number of the institute’s graduates spoke to the King about projects they have implemented to secure a decent income and provide job opportunities for others.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Minister of State for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh, and a number of officials accompanied His Majesty on the visit.