
Jordan remains safe tourist destination amid regional tensions — tourism minister
AMMAN — Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab said on Sunday that Jordan, despite the surrounding regional circumstances, continues to enjoy security and stability, maintaining its position as a safe tourist destination welcoming visitors from around the world.
Speaking at a meeting held on Monday with tourism sector operators and stakeholders, Annab emphasised that preserving Jordan's tourism image requires a unified team spirit within the sector and full co-operation between public and private entities to address the challenges facing tourism, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Annab announced plans to establish a dedicated operations room within the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. 'The unit will comprise representatives from across the tourism sector, with the goal of improving coordination, streamlining roles, and ensuring continuity of operations in light of shifting regional dynamics.
The minister also outlined upcoming efforts to roll out joint promotional campaigns and comprehensive marketing strategies aimed at boosting tourism and reinforcing Jordan's global presence. 'These initiatives will be developed in collaboration with tourism partners across sectors.'
'We will continue supporting domestic tourism while enhancing cooperation with international and regional tourism organisations to sustain momentum and promote long-term development across the Kingdom,' she added.
Annab also confirmed that her ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Royal Jordanian Airlines to assist Jordanian citizens stranded in foreign airports due to flight suspensions stemming from regional tensions.
Syndigate.info).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
44 minutes ago
- The National
Money & Me: ‘Raising Dh2 million in funding for my start-up is a milestone'
For Jennifer Cohan Solal, buying a home in Dubai and raising funds for her UAE-based retail start-up are major financial milestones. The French citizen, 37, who lives on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah with her husband and two children, is chief executive and co-founder of Hushday, a premium flash sales platform. The company offers limited-time flash sales from luxury and premium brands in a members-only space for the digital-first generation. In April, it raised more than Dh2 million ($550,000) in pre-seed funding. Launched just this year, Hushday offers members access to sales across fashion, beauty, accessories, electronics, home and leisure products. The company is already considering plans to grow beyond the UAE and expand operations into Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. 'We're not here to patch a post-Covid inventory issue. We're here to open a new, scalable path for growth for brands who want to reach a younger, price-sensitive, digital audience,' says Ms Solal, who has lived in Dubai for more than two years. 'We found our paradise here as entrepreneurs. There's something very inspiring about the UAE's pace, vision and ambition. It's the best choice we've ever made.' Before moving to the Emirates, Ms Solal worked in fashion and e-commerce sectors for more than 12 years and studied marketing at a French business school. Did wealth feature in your childhood? What did you learn from it? I grew up in a fairly privileged environment. Both my parents were doctors, but nothing was handed to them. They arrived in France from Algeria with nothing, and built their lives through hard work and education. That influenced me the most, seeing first-hand how much it takes to succeed and how deeply independence and resilience are rooted in our family culture. So even though we never lacked anything, my parents always told me to be careful and thoughtful about money, and above all, to rely on myself. That mix of stability and drive has shaped every decision I've made. How did you first earn? My first job was with a start-up when I was 18. I launched a luxury concierge service company in Paris by procuration for a woman who had an amazing idea, but no time to execute it. So, I did everything from A to Z for her and gained more recognition and experience than money. I enjoyed the feeling of autonomy, the sense that if I wanted something, I had the power to go out and make it happen. My first real job was with The Other Store, and my job was to create and manage e-commerce websites for brands. I was 20 years old and got paid €1,000 ($1,154) a month. Any early financial jolts? The biggest financial setback was when I left the corporate world to launch my first start-up, L'Ultime, in Paris. I call it the first digital native vertical brand in pastry. Although the brand gained strong visibility in France, the media attention was incredible and the revenue looked exciting, I quickly learnt the difference between revenue and profit and between brand hype and sustainable growth. So, it was humbling, but also an incredible experience. I met a lot of inspiring people and understood the deeper mechanics of running a business. It made me a stronger and responsible entrepreneur. How do you grow your wealth? I'm in reinvestment mode, so I pour most of my capital into building a long-term vision for Hushday. I have also invested in Dubai real estate. My husband and I purchased a villa on Palm Jumeirah two years ago. We also have property investments in France. Are you a spender or a saver? I'm more of a spender now, but spend consciously. I invest in my business, in quality experiences with my family and in our lifestyle. But I aspire to become more of a saver in the years to come because I want to build a legacy and create a financial foundation that brings freedom, not stress. Have you been wise with money? Yes, I've always been careful with money. I don't take reckless risks such as big spending sprees or flashy purchases, apart from the occasional luxuries I need during sales or beautiful family trips. I've never lived beyond my means. I was raised to be intentional with money and that has stayed with me. Even now as I build my company, I make sure that every dirham I spend serves a purpose and receives a return on investment. What has been your best investment? My best investment was on my own education and self-development, in my children's education and in Dubai. We love this city and feel aligned with its energy and ambition. We are committed to creating something meaningful here for our family and the ecosystem. Any cherished purchases? Yes, everything in our home is a cherished purchase. All items, from the furniture to the decorations, have been chosen with intention. I spent a lot of time and energy to build our home. I love the feeling when people walk in and say it doesn't feel like a house, but a home. Every morning, my husband and I almost cry when we wake up and see the sun and sea in front of us. How do you feel about money? Money is just a consequence, it's not a goal. It gives you freedom, but it doesn't define success. For me, what matters most is creating an impact, leaving a mark and building something lasting. Being the richest person in the cemetery never interested me. I want to do something that lives beyond me and make my children and family proud. Any financial advice for your younger self? Start saving earlier, not out of fear, but to gain freedom. Understand that money buys you time, leverage and peace of mind. Use it to invest in skills, ideas and people who elevate you. Never confuse visibility with value. Also understand that growth is quiet, but compounding is magic. Any key financial milestones? Raising our first round of funding for Hushday was huge, not just because of the capital but the confidence it signalled from people who believe in our vision. Another milestone was buying our home in Dubai before we moved here from Paris. It was a statement of trust in ourselves, in our family and in the life we're choosing to build here. What luxuries are important to you? Spending quality time with family and friends, discovering new places and getting lost in different cultures. When we will eventually be free from work, my husband and I plan to do a world tour. So, it's not always about price, but about the richness of experience and emotions. What are your financial goals? Financial independence is non-negotiable. But right now, my main focus is on creating value and building Hushday into the future leader of premium private sales in the Gulf region. I want to create strong returns for investors and build a brand that resonates across borders.


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Gulf Connections: A date with a town called Mecca
The long drive from Downtown Los Angeles begins on Interstate 105 east, then switches to 605 north until Five Points where you take 10 west, finally escaping the suburban sprawl of Greater LA at San Bernardino. From here, arid mountains rise on either side of the motorway until it merges into Highway 86 when the exit is right on to Grapefruit Road. Now, it is just short distance to 4th Street and a roundabout with a blue-tiled welcome sign. After nearly three hours of driving, you have arrived in Mecca. Mecca, California, that is. Not Makkah in Saudi Arabia. But why is a small town in the Coachella Valley, where attractions include Taco Time and Pizza Milano, named after the holiest city in Islam? The answer is all around you. Date trees. Parallel climates Farmers began planting date trees in the Coachella Valley in the 19th century. The climate is hot − rising to 43C in July and August − and the surrounding landscape is mostly desert, with little rainfall except in the winter. Similar to much of the Arabian Peninsula, in other words. The first trees were imported from the Middle East as 'suckers', tiny plants that spring from the base of date palms. They were sourced across the region, including Iraq, Egypt and Algeria. Many did not survive but, in time, large plantations were established, nurtured by the sunshine and water from underground aquifers. In 1911, two brothers from the Popenoe family were dispatched to Oman and Iraq, after first mastering rudimentary Arabic. They returned with enough young plants to fill 17 railway wagons for shipment from the port of Galveston to California and lurid stories, as told in the local newspapers, of warding off attacks by hostile desert tribes. Today it is estimated that around 95 per cent of American dates are grown in the Coachella Valley, with familiar varieties like Medjool and Halawi, which nevertheless sound exotic to the American ear. The miles of date plantations also created a distinct landscape and culture, one that the locals were quick to exploit for the thousands of visitors to the resort city of Palm Springs, barely 20 minutes' drive away. A tourism hub From the 1920s, the date farms of Coachella became an increasingly popular tourist day trip, with attractions like Romance and Sex Life of the Date (actually, a short film on the pollination process) and the date milkshake − using date crystals in a process popularised by Shields Date Garden in 1936 and still going strong. A Middle Eastern theme also began to develop, one based not so much on the reality of life in the region, but more the American Orientalist perspective of Bible stories and stories like Aladdin from Arabian Nights, with their magic carpets and genies. In many ways, the Coachella Valley is a window into American preconceptions about the Arab world. At the annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, the main stage features a backdrop with imagined Arabian architecture complete with minarets. Past performances since 1947 have included camel riders, an 'Arab Marching Band', 'harem dancers' and an annual Queen Scheherazade and Princess Jasmine pageant. Going along with this, the unincorporated community of Walters changed its name over a century ago to Mecca. Today, Mecca California has a population of around 8,200 and has a small claim to fame as the location for Wild Angels, Roger Corman's 1966 biker film which starred Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra. The Gulf and Middle East still plays an active role in the Coachella Valley. Arabic words like rutab and khaal, referring to the stages of ripening, have passed into the language of Californian date farmers. There is also an interchange of ideas between Californian and Middle East date growers. Mark Tadros, a second generation farmer whose family originally migrated from Egypt in the 1960s to found Aziz Farms, says he is impressed with some of the new technology for growing and harvesting coming from the Gulf. In 2024, he told Aramco World magazine: 'The date-growing region here wouldn't exist without the date-growing region in the Middle East.'


The National
an hour ago
- The National
War forces Iranians to take buses home from Turkey
On a busy motorway in central Istanbul's Aksaray area, white coaches printed with Farsi slogans stood parked at the side of the road on Friday as travellers milled about smoking and drinking from bottles of water before taking their seats for the 36-hour ride to Tehran. 'It's their home, what would you do if something like this happened in your country? You would want to go home,' says Abofazl, a coach driver from northern Iran. He was making his third such journey after Israel began launching attacks attack on Iran on June 13, forcing the closure of airspace across the region. 'I am sad, it's my country," he told The National."They don't care about the Iranian people. They are doing this for their own benefit." Iran has retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, and the death toll and destruction on both sides continues to rise. With airline services cancelled, Iranians are taking the overland route home from Turkey through one of the three crossing points along its 534km border with Iran. According to travel company managers who spoke to The National, thousands of Iranians have made the journey already, paying between 4,000-5,000 Turkish lira ($100-126) for a ticket. Nazmi Guven, a tourism and travel manager in Aksaray, said hundreds of Iranians had taken coaches home each day in the past week. 'It was 400-500 people a day at the beginning of the week, now it's a bit less,' he told The National, as a worker beside him filled out a passenger manifest and fixed stickers to the back of each traveller's passport. Passengers milled around travel company offices, whose windows were filled with signs offering 'VIP' services, including coaches with Wi-Fi and beds. Many suitcases bore airport luggage tags, suggesting their owners were not returning home the same way they came. In interviews, Iranians said they wanted to go home to be with their families, especially because internet shutdowns in Iran had made remote communication difficult. The majority of Iranian internet users had been without a connection for 36 hours, the London-based NetBlocks internet observatory group said on Friday morning. Most Iranians who spoke to The National did not want their names and personal information revealed, because of the sensitivity around talking to journalists. I don't know what will happen, but if it escalates more then at least I am there. Iranian in Turkey returning home via land border A painter in his 20s who has been living in Turkey for eight years said he was going back to Golestan, a region on Iran's border with Turkmenistan, to be with his family. 'I am only going back because of the war,' he told The National. 'I haven't been able to speak to my family for a week. My wife and parents didn't tell me to come back, I wanted to go back. "I don't know what will happen, but if it escalates more then at least I am there.' Iranians described relief at being able to return home to see their families, but also apprehension over an unknown future. One of the waiting passengers said he arrived in Istanbul from Australia at 5am on June 13, planning to take a flight onwards to Iran to visit family members in Tabriz whom he had not seen in years. Just as he arrived, Israel began striking Iran, and the airspace was closed. A week later, the man in his 40s, who declined to give his name, is making the trip by coach. 'I am planning to spend just a few days in Iran. I feel stressed, confused, I don't know what is happening,' he said. Asked what he would do if he could not leave Iran, he replied, 'I honestly don't know.' Some of the Iranians going home were on holiday in Turkey. It is one of the few countries that Iranians can enter visa-free, and 3.3 million visited the country last year, according to Turkish government statistics. Other Iranians were abroad elsewhere when the conflict broke out. Their original travel plans foiled by airspace closures, they found themselves rerouted through Turkey instead. Wearing a blue tropical print shirt, a 35-year-old chemical engineer from Shiraz said he was on holiday in Malaysia and Singapore when the Israel strikes began. His flight home through Sharjah in the UAE was cancelled, forcing him to take the land route home from Turkey instead. 'The bus journey is so long,' he said as he waited for his coach to depart. 'I feel like a homeless person.' For some, the war has prompted them to return home permanently after living and working in Turkey for many years. According to Turkish migration authorities, 74,000 Iranians have residency permits in the country. 'This is the end of my time in Turkey; it's a good thing,' a carpenter in his 20s from the north-eastern city of Gonbad-e Qabus told The National with a smile. 'I am far away from my family. It has become much more expensive here. It's not good,' he said. A loaf of bread that cost 1.5 lira when he arrived before the coronavirus pandemic has gone up to as much as 50 lira, he added. 'Even if we lose our work, we are going back to Iran.' Even those Iranians who do not support their Islamist government opposed Israel's strikes on their country, which have killed many civilians besides senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Many see indifference towards Iranians' suffering, or outright support for Israel, from western government officials. 'Israel, the UK and US don't care about the Iranian people's interests, they are looking out for their own interests - oil, gas and economic interests,' said Mr Sheikh, the travel company manager, said. 'Their hearts aren't bleeding for us."