His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, visited Tafileh on Monday and met with representatives and community leaders from the governorate, as part of His Majesty's ongoing outreach to Jordanians around the Kingdom to follow up on their conditions and development needs.

King Abdullah commenced the visit by inaugurating the engineering workshops building at Tafileh Technical University, which will provide students of the faculty of engineering with quality training to equip them with the skills required for their specialties.

His Majesty was briefed by Tafileh Technical University President Mohammed Khair Al Hourani on the building, which is constructed over an area of 2,000 square meters and funded by the Arab Potash Company, housing advanced machinery and engineering workshops to provide students with technical training and practical skills.

During a tour of the building, the King reviewed several award-winning projects by students of the engineering faculty, including a racing car, a land-mine detection robot, a hybrid fuel system for vehicles (water-gasoline), a project to improve concrete mixes under specific conditions and temperatures, self-cleaning PV panels, and an automated carwash system.

During the meeting with Tafileh community leaders, held at Tafileh Technical University, His Majesty said he was pleased to be among family and friends.

Discussing the healthcare services provided in the governorate, the King noted the difficult commute facing many patients who have to seek treatment at hospitals in Amman, and directed the government to expedite the completion of the public hospital in Tafileh.

His Majesty highlighted the inauguration of the engineering workshops building at Tafileh Technical University as an effort to focus on technical disciplines and training to facilitate the entry of youth into the labour market.

The King referred to Tafileh’s non-traditional tourist sites, such as Afra and Dana, which require partnerships to increase investments and provide jobs for governorate residents.

Acknowledging the challenges facing Tafileh, His Majesty stressed that a number of programmes and initiatives will be implemented in the governorate.

The King said he has instructed government and Royal Hashemite Court officials to visit Tafileh next week to follow up on the needs of the governorate’s residents and identify the priorities of the governorate, with the goal of establishing projects in tourism and industry, and developing a strategy to improve overall conditions.

His Majesty also highlighted the importance of the London Initiative Conference to be held at the end of this month to promote investment opportunities in Jordan.

Speaking at the meeting, Tafileh community leaders and representatives welcomed the King and the Crown Prince, highlighting the main concerns of the governorate’s residents and stressing the need for better infrastructure, water, education, and health services, and the importance of attracting investments to create job opportunities.

They also commended His Majesty’s leadership on Jordan’s foreign policy, citing the Kingdom’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, its focus on promoting the true image of Islam and calling for tolerance and moderation, and its strong international presence.

In remarks at the meeting, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi said 200 income-generating projects will be supported to empower underprivileged families, with a focus on agricultural projects.

In addition, an incubator to support youth innovation will be established in cooperation with the Business Development Centre and Tafileh Technical University, according to Issawi.

Other planned projects include the forestation of Sanfaha area by planting trees over 1,000 dunums, and revamping Aimeh park, Issawi continued.

Previous projects implemented by the Royal Hashemite Court in Tafileh Governorate, in coordination with the government, included developing Tafileh city centre and the Tafileh Grand Mosque, in addition to building 155 housing units for underprivileged families, six schools, five youth centres, and a garment factory employing 391 women.