Ammon News - Jordan and NATO have begun planning a multinational disaster response exercise to be held in the Kingdom in October 2027, designed to test emergency preparedness, international coordination and civil-military cooperation under simulated natural disaster scenarios.

The initial planning conference for Dareb Al-Aman 7 opened Tuesday ahead of the exercise, scheduled for Oct. 3-8, 2027, in partnership between the National Center for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM) and NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.

NATO member states and a number of partner countries are expected to participate in the exercise, alongside Jordanian institutions involved in crisis and disaster response.

NCSCM Deputy Chairman Brig. Hatem Al-Zoubi said the exercise would test the ability of participating agencies to coordinate during large-scale emergencies while providing an opportunity to exchange expertise and apply international best practices in disaster management.

He said disasters can transcend national borders, making coordination between countries and response agencies essential to improving preparedness and the ability to manage different types of emergencies.

Al-Zoubi said cooperation between NCSCM and NATO has contributed to strengthening response capabilities and sharing expertise in crisis and disaster management at the regional and international levels.

Piers Cazalet, Director of the Operations Division at NATO’s Directorate for Defence and Security Cooperation, highlighted the importance of cooperation with NCSCM, the Jordan Armed Forces and security agencies, particularly in civil-military coordination during disasters.

He said Dareb Al-Aman 7 would provide participating countries with an opportunity to test response mechanisms, refine crisis-management concepts and improve international coordination.

Cazalet also praised the capabilities of Jordan’s search and rescue team.

Jordanian specialists and representatives of national institutions are participating in the planning conference to develop the exercise scenarios and coordinate the roles of the agencies that will take part in the 2027 drill.