Aqaba, Feb 9 (Petra) – Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah inaugurated the 25th branch of the Zaha Cultural Center in Aqaba Governorate on Monday, where she toured its facilities and learned more about its range of family-oriented programs.

A Royal initiative, Zaha Cultural Centers aim to empower children, youth, and women to develop their creative, cognitive, and social skills. Across its 25 branches, it provides recreational spaces and safe learning environments, as well as training programs designed to serve all segments of society.

Upon Queen Rania’s arrival, Zaha Cultural Center’s Executive Director, Rania Subaih, and Director of Zaha Cultural Center in Aqaba, Ahmad Kreishan, briefed her on the various activities the center offers to beneficiaries and the broader local community.

Her Majesty also toured the facilities, beginning with the football field, where she viewed a demonstration by the center’s youth karate team. The Queen then stopped by the handicrafts workshop, which hosts pottery activities and women empowerment programs.

Her Majesty passed by the "Karameesh" room, dedicated to offering financial and social literacy programs to children between the ages of three and six, as well as the center’s early childhood play areas. She also attended a women’s workshop in the Psychological and Social Wellbeing Center.

Other stops on Queen Rania’s tour included the center’s computer lab, math and chess training room, and robotics Creative Thinking room. Her visit concluded with a children’s ballet performance in the center’s multipurpose hall, alongside a youth art exhibition and musical performance in the outdoor courtyard.

The center is supported by the Royal Hashemite Court, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Arab Potash Company, Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, Van Leer Foundation, and Aqaba Governorate Council. It operates through grants provided by ASEZA and the Aqaba Development Corporation.

//Petra// AF