By Mohammad Ghazal

TAFILEH – His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday ordered the launch of a JD15 million fund to implement a series of development and income-generating projects in the southern Governorate of Tafileh.

The fund, called Tafileh Development Fund, will be affiliated with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, with a mandate to create jobs for residents and enhance their living conditions.

At a meeting with notables and representatives from Tafileh, some 200 kilometres south of Amman, His Majesty ordered Prince Zeid Ben Al Hussein Military Hospital to treat the governorate’s residents for a year at no charge.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hashem and Prince Ghazi, personal envoy and special adviser to the King, attended the meeting.

The Monarch also ordered the formation of a committee grouping the Royal Medical Services and the Ministry of Health to study the health conditions in the governorate to improve the services provided to the residents of the town and surrounding villages.

His Majesty, who was greeted by thousands of Tafileh residents lining the streets, instructed the government to execute several development projects in the fields of public services, education, health, youth and housing as well as developing the city centre at a total cost of JD8 million.

The King also ordered the dispatch of a committee to recruit 1,000 persons from Tafileh in the security bodies.

Tafileh representatives reviewed the governorate’s demands, highlighting the high rate of poverty and unemployment among its residents. They also called for combating corruption and underlined the country’s achievements in different sectors. read more

Comments: Other international news reports stated that the King’s convoy was pelted with empty bottles. No such report in the local newspapers.