His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday said all citizens should understand the challenges faced by the Kingdom in its development march, stressing that political and economic circumstances in the region required more solidarity and attention.

The King's remarks were made during a meeting with representatives of tribes from central Mafraq and Bani Hassan tribes at the Royal Court.

“We need more cooperation and coordination, both at the level of internal issues and economic concerns as well as new developments in the region,” the King told the tribal leaders.

He said he highly valued the efforts of the tribes, their contribution to the development process and their positions on issues and challenges faced by the country.

King Abdullah said addressing the problems of poverty and unemployment is a responsibility that should be shouldered by all.

The King said it was important to set mechanisms and projects that contribute to the alleviation of these problems. He noted that such projects should be in line with the skills and needs of the residents of each region in the Kingdom.

His Majesty also said it was important to integrate the jobless in vocational training programs, saying it was important for them to acquire skills and expertise that enable them to find jobs in the labour market.

King Abdullah said he was keen to provide creative students from the tribes with the support they need, either through allocating seats for them at the Kingdom's universities or in universities abroad.

“We are also ready to qualify university graduates who cannot find jobs, in new specialities that are in demand in the labour market,” the King said.

The King held a banquet for the tribal leaders during the meeting, which is part of his meetings with citizens to listen to their demands and needs.

The tribal leaders reviewed the problems in their areas, such as poverty and unemployment, and allocating seats for their children at the Kingdom's universities.

Royal Court Chief Salem Turk and the King's Adviser for Tribal Affairs Fawaz Ben Zeben Abdullah attended the meeting.

The Jordan Times