His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday toured the Northern Badia region, where he met with members of the Bani Khaled and Fawa’reh tribes.

Accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah also met with members of Shammar, Enezah, Zbeid, Sarhan, Naeem and Berri tribes.

Tribal leaders delivered addresses welcoming the King and pledging allegiance to the Hashemite throne. They voiced support for ongoing reform efforts, namely the constitutional amendments introduced last year.

Speakers also dwelt on the needs and demands of their fellow tribesmen, calling for more efforts to tackle poverty and unemployment as well as improvements to public services. They stressed that Jordan’s unity under His Majesty King Abdullah’s leadership is a red line that must be protected for the Kingdom to sail safely through the current turbulent phase.

The King started the tour by visiting the Bani Khaled tribes, whose members lined the street to welcome His Majesty, carrying national flags and portraits of His Majesty.

The Bani Khaled tribes stressed that Jordanians should stand by His Majesty’s leadership to maintain the country’s security and stability. “This country belongs to all Jordanians,” tribal leader Nayef Saud Qadi said in an address, noting that how people serve their country defines their worth. “We, as Jordanians, acknowledge the dangerous stage the country is going through, which requires us to use reason and logic,” said Qadi, stressing the importance of comprehensive reform in light of the changes taking place in the local and regional arenas.

Addressing His Majesty during his visit to the Fawaareh tribe, retired Col. Hakim Mashhour Fawaareh said Jordanians must stand as one behind the Hashemite leadership to safeguard the Kingdom’s achievements. Commending the King’s reform efforts, Retired Lt. Col. Faraj Fawaareh said his fellow tribesmen pledged to sacrifice to protect the Kingdom and will not allow anyone to “cross this red line”.

Zbeid tribal leader Mamdouh Zbeidi voiced appreciation for the King’s efforts to lead the Kingdom through the current phase. “We understand the difficult and sensitive choices that require our unity behind the leadership as it makes strategic choices,” he said.

Meanwhile, retired Maj. Gen. Ithaar Shanableh applauded His Majesty’s decision to designate Veterans Day to celebrate servicemen, reiterating that Jordan’s unity and stability is a “red line” that must be protected.

Tribal leader Mahdi Smeir Tawafsheh stressed that young tribesmen believe in peaceful democratic movements that further strengthen the Kingdom’s achievements.

A Sarhan tribe leader, Deifallah Keiber Sarhan, said the Hashemite leadership, which rules through its historical and religious legitimacy, is the “sole guarantor” of the Kingdom’s unity and stability.

Speakers shed light on the needs and demands of their tribes, calling for more efforts to eliminate poverty and unemployment and improve public services. They called for better education opportunities for their children at Mutah and AL Al Bayt universities. They called for establishing youth, sports and healthcare centres, resolving tribal wajihat issues and allocating more lands to their tribes.

His Majesty was scheduled to continue his visits to Northern Badia tribes on Thursday.