Petra, Aug 31 (Petra) -- Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and Jordan River Foundation (JRF) signed small grant agreements on Monday to support four youth initiatives by the Petra region, under the "Promoting Innovation in the Blue Economy through Community Participation and Entrepreneurship" project, backed by the Dutch Embassy.

The agreements, inked under the patronage of Fatima Hilalat, PDTRA Commissioner of Local and Environment Development, aim to empower youth and turn their entrepreneurial ideas into practical projects that address local challenges and advance sustainable development, PDTRA said in a press release.

The grants followed a training program on leadership, community needs assessment, civic engagement and solution development, followed by a hackathon to develop and evaluate ideas and select the most feasible and impactful initiatives.

The winning initiatives were "Petra Mushrooms," "Petra Water Heritage," "Petra Green Pulse," and "Scent of the Earth," which focus on leveraging local resources, water conservation, environmental sustainability and incorporating elements of the local environment and identity into entrepreneurial projects.

Hilalat stressed the importance of investing in youth potential and supporting their entrepreneurial ideas, noting that empowering them requires building their capacities, providing learning and experience opportunities, and linking their initiatives to local community needs.

She commended the partnership with the JRF and the Dutch Embassy in implementing programs that promote innovation and entrepreneurship and support development priorities in the Petra region.

//Petra// NQ