AMMAN — His Majesty
King Abdullah, in a letter on Sunday to the Jordanian people on the occasion of
his 60th birthday, highlighted the aspirations for Jordan’s future, within a
comprehensive national vision that continues across governments and engages
all.
اضافة اعلان
Following is
the English translation of the letter:
“
In
the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
Praise
be to God, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad,
My
family and source of fortitude, daughters and sons of our dear Jordan,
Peace,
God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
We
begin the first year in the second centennial of our state, determined to build
on the accomplishments of our ancestors and continue on the path of
development, overcoming the challenges facing us with unrelenting resolve, a
strong will, sound institutional planning, and a clear vision.
Over the past 100 years, our proud people
have proven that hardships only make them more determined to triumph over
adversity. They have demonstrated that Jordan is the land of blessings,
achievements, and excellence, despite its limited resources.
This year, as I turn 60 and as our dear
country embarks on a new centennial, I evoke the calling of the Hashemites to
which I have dedicated myself — as a soldier in the Arab Army and a Jordanian
citizen who believes in this homeland — in service of our beloved Jordan and
its great people. I will not forget, as long as I live, the words of my father,
may God rest his soul, as he bid farewell to our world, that devotion and
loyalty to this land is an honor and a duty that we carry across generations.
Hardships have intensified in recent years,
as crises flared in our region, casting their shadow over us. We welcomed
hundreds of thousands of refugees and dealt with security challenges on our
borders, as vital trade routes were disrupted and external support dwindled.
This led to a slowdown in our progress, which also suffered from weakness in
institutional work, reluctance to implement programs and plans, bureaucratic
stagnation, aversion to change, the spread of rumors, and the absence of
objective and rational dialogue, in addition to the economic and social burdens
that COVID-19 left in its wake.
Indeed, progress slowed down, but it did not
stop. I am truly proud of the achievements of my fellow Jordanians; despite the
magnitude of the hardships and challenges, they continue to prove, time after
time, that their will, determination, and awareness are stronger than the
fiercest storm.
I am aware, as are you, that our reality does
not live up to our aspirations, and we all do not accept that for our country.
My aspirations for our steadfast nation has no limits, out of my deep belief
that we can build the bright future we all desire. Our history attests that
Jordanians can achieve much and excel if they put their mind to it.
I can see our future clearly — a bright
future where we fortify our security and stability, and move ahead on the path
of development towards further excellence, achievements, and innovation; a
future where we reclaim our leadership in education, advance our economy, and
bolster our public sector’s efficiency and capacity; a future in which our
private sector thrives, with opportunities increasing fairly to counter poverty
and unemployment, and curtail inequality; a future that empowers our youths to
soar in the skies of innovation.
We want a future of excellence and
creativity, that is open to change and development, accepts new ideas, and
embraces diversity while building on our shared values, so that we remain a
symbol of tolerance and altruism. These are the values enshrined by Jordan and
that make our country a model of progress, openness, moderation, and
authenticity.
Achieving this vision requires intensive
efforts to reinforce our points of strength and address points of weakness in
planning and implementation. We must step up performance in various sectors and
provide all Jordanians with the opportunities and services befitting them.
We must identify and implement effective
steps to attract foreign investments and promote national investments. We must
also set a clear roadmap tied to a timeframe to overcome obstacles to private
sector growth and address issues plaguing institutional work at the
administrative level. Our goal is to seize every opportunity and remedy every
shortcoming to provide a decent and prosperous life to all our people.
Brothers and sisters,
There are promising sectors, which if
stimulated and supported will reflect positively on the overall performance of
our economy. I have directed the government to develop plans and programs to
support such sectors, including tourism, agriculture, advanced technology, and
renewable energy. We must also do everything possible to advance the medical
sector and reclaim Jordan’s position as a prime medical tourism destination in
the region.
We
must also offer broad support to our young entrepreneurs, and provide a
competitive environment to incubate the industries of the future. Developing
our educational system in line with current and future labor market needs, is
another priority I have directed the government to focus on and dedicate the
necessary resources for.
And we all recognize that the technological
revolution offers an opportunity to re-engineer the public sector in innovative
ways. Digitizing official procedures can streamline the provision of public
services efficiently and transparently. By reducing paperwork, we will ensure a
leaner public sector that offers fair services which are less susceptible to
personal whims and the corrupt practices that lurk behind stacks of paperwork.
We must all work to bridge the trust gap
between people and governments. This starts with governments adopting comprehensive
plans and programs with clear goals and KPIs. Governments must operate
transparently, clarifying their work mechanisms openly and responsibly, to
dispel destructive rumors with convincing facts and replace futile
argumentation that feeds on the lack of information with informed debates.
Accountability is a must for those who are derelict in performing their duties
towards citizens, for public service is about offering solutions, not placing
obstacles before citizens.
We will not find solutions in vicious cycles
of blame and skepticism, nor in the absence of facts, logic and rationality.
The only way out of this cycle lies in a true partnership between the
government and citizens to counter rumors, false news, and misinformation.
Together, we must reclaim the spaces of public dialogue to prevent the
saboteurs hiding behind their screens from sowing negativity, frustration, and
distrust in our society and nation. Trust is the basis for society’s
resilience. If it is shaken, it destabilizes our entire value system. Those who
seek personal battles and heroic pursuits at the expense of the nation’s interest
have no place among us.
Pessimism does not build futures. Despair
does not offer solutions. And we will not move a step forward unless our
ambition is relentless. I know Jordanians have unmatched willpower, and they do
not settle for anything but the best. Together, we will build our best future.
We have to translate our vision for the
future that we seek into a reality for our people. This behooves us to sketch
the future that we aspire for, and to move towards it by developing and modernizing
our tools to succeed in a world that is constantly changing. History has never
witnessed transformations as rapid as those in our time in the economic,
technological, scientific, cultural, and even climate-related fields.
All countries stand today at a crossroads — they
either keep up with the transformations and obtain the necessary tools, or fall
behind and live on the sidelines of the future. In this era, a country’s
success hinges upon its ability to swiftly adapt to rapid change, by nurturing
creativity, excellence, innovation, and openness to new ideas and international
expertise.
We must embrace this future with the boldness
that the entire world knows is inherent in Jordanians. We hold on to our values
and defend our principles with the best tools and capacities at our disposal;
for our history is a testament to the fearlessness and steadfastness of
Jordanians, inspired by their unwavering love and belonging to their homeland.
We must challenge ourselves to make the
hardest and boldest decisions without hesitation. There is no place among us
for officials who shy away from making decisions or effecting positive change,
or those who hide behind bureaucracy to avoid taking responsibility for their
decisions. Our duty is to provide protection and support for officials who make
bold decisions and take the initiative, as long as their decisions are in
accordance with the law and are not tied to personal interest. We must recognize
that there will always be opposition to certain decisions by individuals or
groups, and that no decision will be fully consensus-based. Accepting
constructive criticism is also part of public service that is free of populism.
Citizens are key partners in expediting
positive change and benefiting from it. We must all stand in unity against
those who seek to maintain the status quo to protect their personal interests,
or out of fear of stepping out of their comfort zones and putting in the needed
efforts and sacrifices for the benefit of all.
We keep up with change to capitalize on the
opportunities it offers, with the courage of our convictions and an unwavering
belief in our values and principles. We protect these principles using the best
dynamic tools of the modern age. And with this conviction, we forge ahead — unencumbered
by narrow-mindedness — into a vast horizon of openness to a new era. We break
the stalemate to move forward instead of settling for the status quo.
Brothers and sisters,
I do
not see a place for us but at the forefront of change, according to a comprehensive
national vision, with clarity of purpose and methodology; unhindered by
hesitation, improvisation, or narrow interests; moving forward in
implementation, supported by administrative and economic reforms.
To this end, I have directed our Royal Hashemite
Court to start organizing a national workshop that brings together economic
experts, in cooperation with the government, to devise a comprehensive vision
and a roadmap for the coming years that guarantees unleashing Jordan’s
potential to achieve sustainable, comprehensive growth that doubles job
opportunities, expands the middle class, and improves living conditions to
ensure a better quality of life for citizens.
Work is also underway to develop a mechanism
that ensures close follow-up on the implementation of this vision across all
sectors, and to ensure the necessary steps are taken to overcome obstacles. Our
goal is for this mechanism to guarantee continuous progress by governments and
officials, without the redrafting of plans and strategies as one government
replaces another.
This mechanism will proceed under my close
follow-up, so that this comprehensive national vision, including its plans and programs,
forms the reference point for all government designation letters, with each
government building on the achievements of its predecessor, and achievements
continue, bearing fruit as comprehensive reforms, efficient services, economic
and administrative development, and job opportunities.
This nation was built by its people who
firmly believed in it, and excelled and sacrificed. Our duty is to build on
their efforts. The choices we make today will chart the future of the next
generations. Let us work together, in mutual trust, faith, and solidarity to
provide a decent life in our homeland, for the present and the future.
May God grant us all success in shouldering
our responsibilities in service of a nation we are proud to belong to and whose
achievements we hold dear. I have infinite faith in my dear people. You are the
source of hope and determination, and serving you is the ultimate purpose to
which I have dedicated my entire life.
Peace,
God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein
Amman, 30 January 2022.”
Read more National news
.jpg)
.jpg)
