Day: January 16, 2022

The weather on Sunday will be very cold, cloudy and rainy in most parts of the country, with heavy downpour accompanied by thunder and hail, leading to flood formation in valleys and low-lying areas, including the Dead Sea region, while snow flurries are forecast in hilltops, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Snow will accumulate to a limited extent over the high southern hilltops of Al Shara, the JMD noted, adding that downfall will stop during late night hour and frost are formed in many areas countrywide.

In its report, the weather department warns of the danger of slippery roads in areas experiencing rainfall, and the risk of low horizontal visibility due to the formation of fog, especially over highlands and dust in desert areas.

On Monday, mercury levels will drop to 5-7 degrees below annual average, bringing extremely cold conditions in most parts of the Kingdom, with clouds at low altitudes and northeasterly moderate to brisk winds.

Tuesday will see similar weather despite a slight rise in temperatures, with rainfall in the northern region and southwesterly moderate winds, picking up at times, the JMD added.

Today, the maximum and minimum temperatures in eastern Amman will range from 7 Celsius degrees to -1C during night, while highs in western Amman will be 5C and lows at -1C. The Gulf of Aqaba will see a fair 18C, dropping to 8C at night hours.

Source : Jordan News Agency

The Kingdom’s tourism revenues saw an increase of about $221 million in December 2021, compared with the same period in 2020 to reach $292 million.

This hike was due to an increase in the number of tourists in December by about 190,000 to reach a total of 249,000 tourists.

Data from the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) showed an increase in tourism income in 2021 by 90 per cent to reach $2.7 billion, compared with a decrease of 75.7 per cent in 2020, as a result of the increase in the number of tourists in 2021, reaching 2.358 million tourists.

Tourism revenues from Jordanian expatriates accounted for 41.7 per cent of the total income, followed by tourists from Arab countries (except for gulf countries) contributing 28.2 per cent, and then tourists from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries whose contributions amounted to 15 per cent.

In addition, tourism income from European countries accounted for 6.7 per cent, followed by tourism income from the United States with 2.8 per cent of total tourism income, according to the CBJ data.

Source : Jordan News Agency

The Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) – the largest investment fund of its kind in Jordan – on Sunday has announced a direct investment of $1.5 million in Global Ventures, a Dubai-based growth-driven venture capital firm focused on investing in growth stage technology companies across the Middle East and Africa, according to an ISSF statement.

The investment, which was made in December, underlines the ISSF’s commitment to empowering promising Jordanian startups as part of efforts to enhance the local entrepreneurship environment and the national economy in general, the statement said.

ISSF General Manager, Laith Al Qasem, saidinvesting in progressive funds such as Global Ventures supports ambitious SMEs to expand their businesses, enhance operations, and realize their growth potential, leading to a dynamic entrepreneurial landscape and driving robust economic development across Jordan and beyond.

General Partner at Global Ventures, Basil Moftah, said that Jordan is a regional leader in entrepreneurship and a center for some of the most powerful companies and founders in the region, with support and investment programs for small and medium-sized companies dating back to the eighties of the last century, explaining that Global Ventures’ business is in line with the ISSF’s mission, which focuses on transforming the local and regional entrepreneurial environment into a global hub for technology and innovation.

Source : Jordan News Agency