Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh on Monday visited Madaba and checked on the progress of work in a number of public and service facilities in the governorate.

The PM stressed the importance of increasing tourist promotion programmes locally and internationally, especially that Madaba enjoys several tourist and religious sites.

Khasawneh started his tour, which is part of a field tour to several regions in the Kingdom following Royal directives by His Majesty King Abdullah, with a visit to the Prince Hashim Bin Abdullah II Youth City, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister checked on the youth city’s facilities, which is considered "a sports monument” that contributes to serving sports and the youth sectors and the local community in the governorate. 

During the visit the prime minister also highlighted the importance of enhancing the living conditions of the residents and establishing adequate transport facilities in the governorate.

The premier also visited the Madaba Visitor Centre and listened to a briefing on the JD2-million expansion project. Madaba Tourism Director Wael Janini said that the governorate ranked second in 2019 after Petra in the number of tourists with more than 700,000 visitors.

Janini noted that after the historic visit of the Pope to Madaba in 2000 and accrediting five sites for the Christian pilgrimage, the city is witnessing an increasing turnout of local and foreign tourists.

He also visited shops selling handicrafts and carpets, highlighting the importance of such industries in attracting tourists.

Khasawneh also visited the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration, which is the only institution in the Middle East that grants a diploma in mosaic art, and listened to a briefing about the institute that currently has 120 students and contributes to maintaining the historical and cultural heritage of the Kingdom. 

During his visit to the St George’s Greek Orthodox Church (the Map Church), the prime minister met with members of the church committee and stressed that Jordanians, Muslims and Christians, live side by side in brotherhood and love.

The church houses one of the most important maps in the world, which is the oldest original map of the holy land that is painted on a piece of mosaic that dates back to 560AD.

The map, which shows the names of 350 cities in Jordan and Palestine, constitutes a tourist guide for visitors of Palestine through the Christian pilgrimage route.

The premier also visited a new pharmaceutical factory that was established by the Sukhtian Pharma Group in Naur District with an investment volume of JD30 million. The PM stressed the government’s support for pharmaceutical industries and highlighted the importance of investing in the sector for its added value in the national economy and providing jobs.