Tag: jordan

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Dubai News UAE News

Capital Bank rings Nasdaq Dubai Bell

Capital Bank rings Nasdaq Dubai Bell

Rima Shaban, the bank’s Head of Private Banking and Wealth Management, rang the Nasdaq Dubai market opening bell today in the presence of Capital Bank Group’s CEO as well as executive management team members.

 Capital Bank of Jordan rang the bell for the opening of Nasdaq Dubai’s market, which comes after the successful listing of a $100 million perpetual AT1 bond.

The bond is the first issuance of its kind for a Jordanian bank on the region’s international financial exchange. Dubai was chosen for the listing in view of its role as the largest listing venue in the Middle East for US dollar-denominated debt listings.

Rima Shaban, the bank’s Head of Private Banking and Wealth Management, rang the Nasdaq Dubai market opening bell today in the presence of Capital Bank Group’s CEO as well as executive management team members.

“We are proud of our successful listing at Nasdaq Dubai, which we consider a unique global trading platform operating within a high-quality and well-regulated environment,” commented Bassem Khalil Al-Salem, Capital Bank Group Chairman. “This will further extend Capital Bank’s reach and allow our teams to further strengthen the bank’s relationship with investors in the United Arab Emirates as well as the entire Gulf Region.”

Al-Salem further expressed his gratitude to the investors who placed their trust in the listing, demonstrating their strong confidence in Capital Bank’s ambitious strategy and its ability to achieve and sustain consistent growth.

Abdul Wahed Al Fahim, Chairman of Nasdaq Dubai, said, “Nasdaq Dubai attracted its highest ever number and value of new bond listings in 2021. We are delighted to see leading regional and global institutions, including Capital Bank, leveraging Nasdaq Dubai’s world-class ecosystem to achieve their fund-raising plans and strengthen their links with investors. We are committed to continuously developing our market in line with the evolving requirements of participants and to reinforce Nasdaq Dubai’s active role in realising the strategic objectives of Dubai as a capital markets hub.”

Dawod Al-Ghoul, CEO of Capital Bank, explained that the bank plans to use the proceeds of this issuance to support the capital base of Capital Bank Group, noting that “this will serve to propel the Group’s expansion plans, particularly following the opening of the first branch of the National Bank of Iraq in Saudi Arabia. It also flows in direct harmony with our ongoing and far-reaching digital transformation plans, epitomized by the recent introduction of Blink, our flagship digital banking platform that just launched in Jordan and will soon debut in Iraq.”

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This issuance, added Al-Ghoul, which came within the requirements of Basel 3, was conceived with the objective of cultivating a diverse base of investors from the region, making Nasdaq Dubai the ideal platform given its broad regional and global appeal.

Hamed Ali, CEO of Nasdaq Dubai and Dubai Financial Market (DFM), said, “We are pleased to welcome the bond listing by Capital Bank of Jordan as a first step of its kind from a pioneering establishment. This indicates the close ties between the capital markets of UAE and Jordan, creating a template for other Jordanian and regional institutions to utilize the expertise and infrastructure Dubai offers. A number of leading corporate and sovereign debt issuers have chosen to list on Nasdaq Dubai, which shows their confidence in the market.”

Capital Investments was the sole manager of this bond issuance, with legal counsel offered by Simmons & Simmons to the issuer and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to the manager, in cooperation with Jordanian legal consulting firm Obeidat, Tarawneh, and Kurd.

Nasdaq Dubai has witnessed a healthy stream of issuances and listings in 2021, including 30 listings of Sukuk and bonds totaling $23.1 billion and a record-breaking 14 bond issuances valued at $ 11.2 billion, up 141 percent compared to 2020.

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Arab News News UAE News

Jordan King, Queen receive 2022 Zayed Award

King, Queen of Jordan receive 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity (WAM)

The award is organised by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent international committee…reports Asian Lite News

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan on Saturday, received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, the award, presented during a ceremony hosted by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi, was granted in appreciation of Their Majesties’ efforts to promote human fraternity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. The award was also presented to Haitian humanitarian organisation FOKAL.

King, Queen of Jordan receive 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity (WAM)

Attending the ceremony virtually, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al Tayyib and His Holiness Pope Francis congratulated Their Majesties, describing them as role models for fraternity and coexistence.

During their speeches, they praised Their Majesties’ commitment to promoting the values of coexistence and dialogue between different religious traditions, in the fight against discrimination, and for the empowerment of young people and women.

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Mohammed Abdulsalam, Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, also delivered a speech during the ceremony.

The award is organised by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent international committee instituted to promote human fraternity values in communities around the world and to fulfill the aspirations of the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al Tayyib and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Members of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, and members of the award’s judging committee, along with a number of dignitaries, also attended the ceremony. (WAM)

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-Top News Arab News News

Jordan FM , Arab League chief discuss regional issues

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit (WAM)

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit held talks on Wednesday on efforts to advance joint Arab action and regional developments…reports Asian Lite News


They call for broader joint Arab action and a collective Arab role to resolve crises and enhance regional security and stability, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the state-run media report.

The Arab League, which will remain the “umbrella of joint Arab action,” needs to have its role strengthened and Jordan is committed to supporting the League in this regard, Safadi was quoted as saying.

Ayman Safadi. (IANS)


They called for intensifying international and regional efforts to revive negotiations based on the two-state solution, which is the sole way to reach a fair peace.

Aboul-Gheit commended Jordan’s active role within the League and the Arab action system to enhance regional security and stability.

Also on Wednesday, King Abdullah II of Jordan received Aboul-Gheit, where King Abdullah reaffirmed the importance to maintain coordination among Arab countries to confront various challenges, according to a statement by the Royal Court.

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The Kingdom of Jordan had earlier condemned the terrorist Houthi militia’s attempt to target the UAE with a ballistic missile, which was intercepted and destroyed by the UAE air defence forces.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Ambassador Haitham Abu Al Foul, Spokesperson of Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, expressed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation and denunciation of this cowardly terrorist act.

He also affirmed Jordan’s full support of the UAE in any measures it takes to protect itself and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents.

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Arab News News World

Israel arrests 9 Palestinian suspects in Jordan Valley

Israel arrests 9 Palestinian suspects in Jordan Valley

Israeli security forces have arrested nine Palestinian suspects during a large anti-terror operation in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, the army said…reports Asian Lite News

Hundreds of army troops and Israeli police officers operated overnight between Sunday and Monday in the Jordan Valley as part of “an operation to thwart terrorist activity and confiscate weapon infrastructure in the area”, Xinhua news agency quoted a military spokesperson as saying in a statement.

The nine Palestinian suspects were transferred to the Israeli Border Police for questioning, the spokesperson said, adding 16 vehicles, a handgun, and stolen military ammunition and equipment were confiscated.

The raid sparked clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in several locations, where dozens of protesters hurled rocks and an improvised explosive device at the troops who responded with “riot dispersal means”, according to the statement.

ALSO READ: Israel grants identification card to 1,000 Palestinians in West Bank

On January 25, a joint police-army statement said security forces thwarted a smuggling attempt in the Jordan Valley, seizing 53 weapons, including 39 handguns, 10 Kalashnikov assault rifles and four M16 assault rifles.

The Jordan Valley is part of the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East.

Israel kept its control over the territory despite international criticism.

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Arab News News Syria

Syrian President orders to provide electricity transfer from Jordan to Lebanon

Syrian President orders to provide electricity transfer from Jordan to Lebanon

Visiting Syrian Energy Minister Ghassan al-Zamil has said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ordered to provide all needed assistance to facilitate the transfer of electricity from Jordan to Lebanon through Syria…reports Asian Lite News

“President Assad is keen to ensure the implementation of this project which would pave the way for increased Arab cooperation in the near future,” al-Zamil was quoted as saying in a statement on Tuesday released by Lebanon’s Presidency, following the Syrian Minister’s meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.

On Wednesday, a signing ceremony for an energy deal among Lebanon, Jordan and Syria is scheduled to be held at the Lebanese Energy Ministry in the capital Beirut, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Syrian Energy Minister noted that the rehabilitation of his country’s power network had been completed by the end of 2021 to allow the transfer of electricity from Jordan to Lebanon.

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The deal will provide Lebanon with up to 250 megawatts of electricity during the day and 150 megawatts at night, equivalent to a total of two additional hours of power, according to Lebanon’s Energy Minister Walid Fayad.

The agreement, which came amid Lebanon’s severe power outage, is part of the government’s wider efforts to increase the daily power supply to eight hours from just two hours now in most parts of the country.

The Lebanese government is also preparing to sign an agreement later this year to import gas from Egypt through the Arab Gas Pipeline and boost Lebanon’s electricity output.

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-Top News Arab News UAE News

UAE, Jordan discuss boosting military ties

They discussed ways of promoting military cooperation between the two countries…reports Asian Lite News

A delegation from the Ministry of Defence, led by Major General Pilot Mubarak Ali Al Neyadi, Head of the Executive Department of Policy and Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence, participated in a meeting of the UAE-Jordan Military Cooperation Committee.

Major General Pilot Yousef Ahmed Al Hunaiti, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Jordan, met the delegation at his office, where they discussed ways of promoting military cooperation between the two countries.

The delegation also visited the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Rapid Intervention Brigade and was briefed about the brigade’s duties, as well as the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre.

The delegation then visited the Jordan Design and Development Bureau and was briefed about the centre’s capacities and the production lines of defence companies.

At the end of the meeting, the sides signed the minutes of the committee’s 12th meeting.

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Amman had recently as condemned the seizure of a cargo ship sailing under the flag of the United Arab Emirates by the Houthi military.

The Houthis had seized a cargo ship carrying medical equipment, which was running under the UAE flag, off the Yemeni coast in the south Red Sea earlier this week.

“The Jordanian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the act of piracy and the Houthis capturing the vessel under the flag of the fraternal UAE, sailing last night in the vicinity of Al Hudaydah governorate,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry called such actions “terror threatening the freedom of civil navigation” and demanded the immediate release of the captured vessel.

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Arab News News World

Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Before 2007, the number of Christians living in Gaza had reached 5,000. Now there are 800 only, according to Ayyad…reports Asian Lite News

Hundreds of Palestinian Christians in the Gaza strip have left the besieged enclave for the West Bank to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a spokesman for the Christian community in Gaza has said.

Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Kamel Ayyad, Spokesman of the Christian community in Gaza, told Xinhua on Tuesday that 722 Christians from Gaza applied to the Israeli side for permits to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jordan, and 468 of them obtained permits and left earlier this week to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

The rest of the applicants, many of whom are children, women and elderly, were banned from leaving Gaza for unspecified security reasons, he added.

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The Gaza strip, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas violently seized control of the coastal enclave in 2007, Xinhua news agency reported.

Before 2007, the number of Christians living in Gaza had reached 5,000. Now there are 800 only, according to Ayyad.

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Arab News News World

Egypt, Jordan, Palestine discuss ways to revive Mideast peace process

Senior officials from Egypt, Jordan and Palestine have discussed a number of proposals aimed at breaking the deadlock in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process…reports Asian Lite News

During a meeting in Cairo on Monday, the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Jordan, the Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs, and the Heads of the three countries’ intelligence services held talks to coordinate positions and vision on how to follow-up on the results of the tripartite summit held in Cairo in September, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

On September 2, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met for a tripartite summit, during which they stressed the importance of reviving the peace process and resuming negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel in accordance with international legitimacy references.

During Monday’s meeting, representatives from the three countries discussed the recent developments in the Palestinian cause, ways to improve relations, advances in the peace process, and efforts to consolidate Palestinian national unity, Xinhua news agency reported.

The officials assessed the situation in Palestine in light of the continued measures that undermine the chances of achieving a just peace in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the consolidation of a comprehensive truce and reconstruction in the Gaza strip, according to the statement.

The meeting also focused on establishing a political horizon for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which would result in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital, as per international law and the Arab Peace initiative.

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On May 21, Egypt sponsored a truce agreement between Israel and the armed Palestinian factions, led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The truce ended 11 days of fighting that led to the death of more than 250 Palestinians and 13 people in Israel.

Peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis have been suspended since March 2014, after nine months of talks sponsored by the US that did not yield any achievements.

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Arab News COVID-19 News

Jordan announces to tighten measures amid Omicron spike

Jordan announces to tighten measures amid Omicron spike

The Jordanian government announced that it will tighten health measures as of 2022, starting with the New Year’s Eve celebrations amid the rapid global spread of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant…reports Asian Lite News

People will be required to provide a proof of being fully vaccinated, as well as a negative PCR result valid for 48 hours to attend the celebrations, State Minister for Media Affairs Faisal Shboul was quoted by the state-run Petra news agency as saying.

Jordan announces to tighten measures amid Omicron spike

As many as 14 Omicron cases were recorded in the country on Thursday, he said.

Jordan reported 2,239 new cases in the last 24 hours, increasing the caseload to 1,047,953, reports Xinhua news agency.

ALSO READ: Global Covid caseload tops 278 mn

The pandemic also claimed 43 lives in the same period, taking the overall death toll to 12,372, according to the Health Ministry.

The Ministry also added that the total number of people who received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has reached 4,301,730, and 3,891,366 have been fully vaccinated.

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Arab News News World

Jordan faces unprecedented water poverty: PM

Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh said that the country is facing unprecedented water poverty…reports Asian Lite News

When addressing the lower house of the country’s Parliament, he said the annual per capita share of water in Jordan is nearly 90 cubic metres, while the global water poverty line is 500 cubic metres, Xinhua news agency reported citing state media.

“If the situation continues to deteriorate, the annual per capita share will drop to 60 cubic metres by 2040,” he said, citing scientific reports.

PM Bisher Al-Khasawneh

The Prime Minister said the kingdom has discussed the feasibility of a joint water-energy project with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, which would supply Jordan with 200 million cubic metres of water annually.

He also said Jordan would accelerate the implementation of the national water carrier project that conveys desalinated seawater from the Gulf of Aqaba to other regions across the kingdom.

According to the UN, Jordan is the second most water scarce country in the world.

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Jordan’s annual renewable water resources are less than 100 cubic metres per person, significantly below the threshold of 500 cubic metres per person which defines severe water scarcity.

While more than 98 per cent of the population has access to an improved water source, only 93 per cent access a safely-managed source and 86 per cent to a piped network.