Jerash/Irbid, Dec. 7 (Petra) -- Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday conducted field visits to cultural, educational, production, and tourism sites in the governorates of Jerash and Irbid as part of his regular inspection tours.

The Prime Minister began his visit by inaugurating the Jerash Cultural Center, a major cultural facility serving residents and intellectuals in the governorate. Accompanied by the Minister of Culture, he received a briefing on the center’s components, which include indoor and outdoor theaters, a library, and multipurpose halls dedicated to music, visual arts, drama, Arabic calligraphy, ornamentation, and other creative disciplines.

He toured the center’s facilities and listened to feedback from trainees and beneficiaries regarding the activities conducted. He directed that instructors be provided for the various arts programs, that the library be supplied with updated materials, and that the halls be equipped with modern computers.

The cultural center was constructed on an area of approximately 3,500 square meters and consists of three floors on an eight-dunam plot, strategically located to ensure accessibility for its users.

In Irbid Governorate, the Prime Minister, accompanied by former Prime Minister Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh, Chair of the Irbid Development Corporation, visited the permanent exhibition of agricultural and rural products. The fully equipped exhibition, set to open soon, will support farmers and owners of productive projects in Irbid and neighboring governorates.

In the presence of the Ministers of Local Administration and Agriculture, the Prime Minister received a briefing on the exhibition’s facilities. Designed as a permanent platform for marketing agricultural and rural products, the project aims to stimulate economic activity and generate job opportunities. It was established through cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Irbid Development Corporation, and the Irbid Governorate Council, with support from the Royal Hashemite Court.

Located next to King Abdullah II Gardens in Irbid, the exhibition spans approximately 4,500 square meters. The three-story building includes halls for displaying products, a production-kitchen area, an outdoor theater, a sales area, meeting rooms, and various service facilities.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Rawabdeh, also visited Irbid Comprehensive Secondary School for Boys, one of the Kingdom’s oldest schools. He reviewed its current condition and listened to proposals for its development. He directed the implementation of a comprehensive expansion and maintenance plan, including the modernization of laboratories, while preserving the school’s historical and heritage value.

In a related directive, the Prime Minister ordered the rehabilitation of Irbid Hill to transform it into a public park and recreational space. He instructed ministries and concerned institutions to cooperate with Irbid Municipality to complete the project, while preserving the site’s heritage buildings, including Wasfi al-Tal School, Hassan Kamel al-Sabah School, and the Comprehensive Secondary School.

The Prime Minister also inspected the archaeological site of Umm Qais, where he reviewed ongoing restoration and development efforts aimed at enhancing its tourism appeal.

In the presence of the Minister of Tourism, he directed the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Umm Qais Museum and the acceleration of restoration plans for the heritage village to strengthen the site’s position on the national tourism map. Umm Qais was recognized by the World Tourism Organization as one of the world’s best tourist villages.

The Prime Minister additionally directed the paving of roads in al-Mukhaiba al-Fouqa and al-Mukhaiba al-Tahta.

//Petra// AJ