Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania on Monday met with Professor Glenn L. Denning, director of Millennium Villages Project in Africa, which is implemented by the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

The King highlighted the need to benefit from the long experience of the Earth Institute to design comprehensive and effective development models for local communities in Jordan, especially in the country's 20 “poverty pockets.”

They also discussed Jordan's efforts to achieve comprehensive development in all fields, with the King stressing the need to address strategic challenges like water, energy, unemployment and population growth.

Also present at the meeting were the King's Office Director Bassem Awadallah and CEO of the Dead Sea Institute Nadia Saeed.

The two sides discussed prospects of cooperation between the Earth Institute and the Dead Sea Institute.

The Jordan Times