His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday began the second day of a tour of the southern region by visiting the Maan Development Area, where he met with the CEO and board members of the Maan Development Company, as well as local community representatives.

During the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, King Abdullah urged involving the local community in Maan in formulating a development plan for the governorate in coordination with the government, to be implemented with a clear timeframe and key performance indicators to evaluate results.

Stressing that citizens’ interest is the priority, His Majesty said investments should benefit the public, first and foremost.

The King said time is of the essence, adding that the same problems should not continue unresolved for the next year or two.

His Majesty noted that there will be close follow-up on progress, stressing the importance of collective action.

Moreover, the King emphasised the need to alleviate the burden on Maan residents, pointing out the value of attracting more investments to the region.

Turning to poverty and unemployment in the governorate, His Majesty underscored that the target is enhancing citizens’ living standard and promoting Maan as a key destination for foreign investors in cooperation with all stakeholders.

The King urged bolstering cooperation between the public and private sectors to come up with solutions to the challenges facing the region, noting the need to identify Maan’s competitive advantage in industry to achieve progress.

His Majesty also highlighted the need to develop transport in the southern region.

For his part, Maan Development Company CEO Hussein Kreishan gave a briefing on Al Rawda industrial area, which houses 26 investment projects with a total value of JD70 million, noting that nine additional investment projects valued at JD6 million are underway and that one out of three stalled projects has moved forward as efforts continue to address the challenges facing the two others.

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, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti, and Maan Governor Mohammad Fayez accompanied the King on the visit.