ammonnews.net

Ammon News - US Ambassador to Jordan, Henry Wooster, on Wednesday visited Irbid and was briefed on the investment landscape in the northern governorate.

During the visit, Wooster met with Irbid Governor, Radwan Al-Otoum, President of the Irbid Chamber of Industry, Hani Abu Hassan, members of the Chamber’s board of directors, business owners, researchers, students and local figures, Jordan News Agency reported.

Wooster was also briefed on areas in which cooperation and leveraging investment opportunities in Irbid could be enhanced, as well as comparative advantages the governorate enjoys in various fields.

Wooster also highlighted the US-Jordan cooperation in many fields and joint efforts in confronting challenges residents of Irbid are facing economically, financially and socially, according to Petra.

The US envoy and the Governor of Irbid, the President of the Irbid Chamber of Industry and relevant stakeholders, discussed challenges facing Irbid, such as water security and ways to enhance the economy and create opportunities for Jordanian youth, stressing that examining these issues indicates the strength of the Jordan-US partnership at all levels.

The President of the Irbid Chamber of Industry, members its Board of Directors, businessmen and investors presented the available investment opportunities in economic zones in Irbid, which would increase the volume of economic exchange between the two countries.

"This has been a challenging year for everyone everywhere. Partnerships like we have with Jordan and its people help us and our families to face any storms that might occur," said Ambassador Wooster. "We all benefit when we work together to tackle common challenges."

At Al Wahda Dam area, Ambassador Wooster met with a number of local residents and discussed how the United States and Jordan can work together to improve the water situation in this dry year.

"The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is conducting joint studies on how to develop and modernize the King Abdullah Canal (KAC), which carries water from the dam to fields and homes, to stop water loss," Wooster noted.

Ambassador Wooster assured members of the Chamber of Industry that the United States would continue to work with business owners, particularly through the US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.

He explained that more than 70 percent of annual exports from Irbid go to the United States thanks to the free trade agreement.

During his visit to the Princess Haya Center for Biotechnology, the US envoy commended the center and similar facilities for demonstrating the Jordanian workforce potential, noting that the health and research sectors will continue to play an important role in the national economy.

The US ambassador was briefed on the progress of the Access program, which is an after-school program that examines the students in the English language class in Irbid and is implemented under the auspices of the US Embassy to teach English to Jordanian youth.

He underlined the importance of the English language in Jordan's economic development, saying, "Diligent students like students in this Access semester excel not only in the classroom but after graduation...I can't wait to see how they help build the future of the Kingdom."