His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday affirmed that he will always side with the Jordanian people, acknowledging the mounting pressures on citizens.

“Citizens are right, and I will not accept that Jordanians suffer,” King Abdullah told local media figures during a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace. “I have learned from His Majesty [the late King Hussein], may his soul rest in peace, to stand by my Jordanian brothers and sisters.”

Speaking to directors of official media, chief editors of dailies, the president of the Jordan Press Association, and a number of columnists, His Majesty voiced pride in young Jordanians’ responsible and civilised expression of opinion over the past few days, which reflects their keenness on securing a better future.

“All Jordanians are working for a better future for their nation, and to move steadily ahead,” the King noted.

“What I have seen over the past few days makes me proud to be Jordanian,” His Majesty said.

The King stressed that state institutions must adopt a new approach to enhance performance, accountability, and transparency, calling for making way for young people with the energy and dedication to serve Jordan.

His Majesty said the difficult conditions facing Jordan must be navigated prudently and responsibly, stressing the need for a fresh approach to take on challenges.

The King underlined that the regional situation surrounding Jordan continues to be the main reason for the difficult economic conditions the Kingdom is facing, including the disruption of Egyptian gas supplies, which has cost JD4 billion; the closure of traditional markets for Jordan’s exports; and the high cost of securing Jordan’s borders.

“We must acknowledge that there has been underperformance, laxness and hesitance in decision-making. This has been addressed and officials and governments were dismissed,” His Majesty said.

“This past period, I had to do the government’s work, which is not my role. My role is to be the guarantor of the Constitution and the balance of powers. Each power, and each official, have to be up to the responsibility. Those who cannot deliver should leave their positions to those who can,” the King affirmed.

His Majesty said he has often called for working towards parliamentary governments, but this has not been achieved due to the weak performance of political parties.

The King added that this reality has led to activating parliamentary blocs, which could galvanise parliamentary and partisan work.

Jordan is dealing with unanticipated economic and regional changes. No plan could have mitigated these challenges quickly and effectively, His Majesty affirmed, stressing that Jordan is now at a crossroad— it either comes out of this crisis and provides a decent living to Jordanians, or it steps into the unknown.

“We need to set a course,” the King noted.

His Majesty said international aid to Jordan has dropped despite the burden the Kingdom shoulders by hosting Syrian refugees.

“The world has fallen short,” the King added.

The draft income tax law is controversial, His Majesty said, calling for launching a dialogue on the bill and noting that countries around the world have dealt with such a challenge.

The government had the key responsibility of explaining the draft law to the people, but there were shortcomings in public outreach, the King told the attendees.

When people pay tax, they should sense that what they pay goes to improve the services they receive at school, hospital, or in transport. His Majesty added, stressing the need to improve the quality of services.

The King said protecting the middle class and lower income families, and investment promotion must be officials’ priorities.

His Majesty affirmed the importance of productive, transparent dialogue, so that all Jordanians are heard.

Jordan has completed most of the fiscal reforms within the International Monetary Fund’s programme, which will enable the Kingdom to secure aid from donor countries and maintain development programmes, the King said.

His Majesty voiced appreciation of security agencies’ professionalism and the civilised way they have dealt with protesters, noting that the special bond between citizens and security agencies is unique to Jordan.

The wide-ranging discussions at the meeting covered the challenges facing Jordan, and the role of responsible national media in presenting the facts to Jordanians and leading dialogue and public opinion.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, and Adviser to His Majesty for Economic Affairs Mohamad Al Ississ attended the meeting.