Irbid, May 3 (Petra) -- Prime Minister Jafar Hassan chaired a Cabinet session in the Irbid Governorate on Sunday, announcing an unprecedented $9 billion capital injection into the national economy for the upcoming year through a series of landmark strategic projects.
The session, the second to be held in the governorate, focused on a comprehensive review of Jordan’s developmental roadmap and the resilience of its economic indicators.
The Prime Minister confirmed that despite regional instability, the government has maintained a steady growth rate of 3% and is moving forward with critical sovereign projects.
These include the National Water Conveyor, the Aqaba Port railway, and the Risha gas pipeline, which are expected to stimulate multiple sectors and provide widespread employment opportunities across all governorates.
Addressing the specific needs of the Irbid Governorate, Hassan detailed an extensive overhaul of the local healthcare sector centered on the new Princess Basma Hospital.
He directed the immediate commencement of studies to establish a specialized cancer treatment center within the facility, modeled after the Samih Darwazah Center. To ensure seamless access to these services, the government has allocated JD 10 million to link the hospital to the Irbid Ring Road, while the old hospital building will be fully rehabilitated into a state-of-the-art outpatient clinic complex.
The Prime Minister also highlighted a massive expansion of the educational network in the governorate, with plans to construct 17 new model schools at an estimated cost of JD 60 million.
This initiative, which includes nine schools funded through private sector social responsibility and eight from the central budget, follows the inauguration of the Maru Secondary School earlier that day. Hassan emphasized that these facilities are designed to eliminate the need for rented buildings and resolve long-standing issues of classroom overcrowding.
Regarding the tourism sector, the Prime Minister identified Umm Qais as a primary engine for domestic tourism and local community development.
He affirmed that the government is currently refining legislation and administrative regulations to incentivize domestic travel and support the small-scale tourism enterprises that sustain local families.
By focusing on internal economic strengths and strategic infrastructure, the government aims to shield the national economy from global inflationary trends while positioning Jordan as a resilient hub for regional investment.
//Petra// AA
