Ammon News - Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), Manar Mahasneh, on Sunday signed a set of agreements with local investment companies and local community to lease 53 dunums to establish tourism development projects, in presence of Minister of Water and Irrigation, Mohammad Najjar.

Under the agreements, land plots with a view on King Talal Dam (KTD) lake were leased, aimed to achieve the area's tourism and environmental development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Najjar said the agreements seek to develop all KTD's areas, by launching development projects, creating job opportunities for people of the dam's neighboring lands, and preserving the area from ecological and and tourist dimensions.

For her part, Mahasneh said JVA is working with all its capabilities to implement Royal directives, in accordance with government plans aimed at developing areas under its jurisdiction, enabling local communities to achieve development, providing an "attractive" investment environment, and establishing projects that employ local labor.

JVA, Mahasneh noted, is working to find national investment opportunities through local companies and local community to establish tourism projects, as a local investment company has leased 19 dunums to build restaurants, a small hotel, chalets, water playgrounds and parks.

Other 19 dunums were leased to another local company to build chalets, a tourist restaurant and a horse staple and children's playground, while 15 dunums were leased to local individuals to establish makeshift tourist facilities, log cabins and children playgrounds, Mahasneh pointed out.