Mayor and Leadership Forum President, speak at Children Municipal Council

Speaking at a special joint session of Greater Amman Municipal Council and the Greater Amman Children Municipal Council held at the Al-Hussein Cultural Center on 3 December, Mayor Omar Maani explained that Amman's nomination to the shortlist of the World Leadership Award in Town Planning is befitting recognition for the Amman Master Plan, which came about in direct response to His Majesty King Abdullah II's directive "to achieve the optimum balance of healthy growth and quality living, flourishing expansion and organized districts, 21st century conveniences and traditional character, through embarking on a far-reaching and comprehensive project of city planning for Amman."

Amman is the only city from an Arab or Mid-Eastern country to be on the short list for the highly prestigious World Leadership Awards, which is presented annually in London. More than 400 cities across the world submit projects in a wide range of categories. Sharing the short list for the town planning category with Amman are the cities of Brampton in Canada and Ahmedabad in India. The winners in all the categories will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on the evening of 6 December in London.

A key component of the Master Plan relates to economic development and builds on the various national initiatives to transform Jordan into a knowledge-based economy. The national priority on education of Jordan's youthful population is focused on achieving this objective.

GAM's Master Plan has recognized the need to accommodate knowledge-based industries into campus like settings and has designated special Prestige Business/Industrial Zones for such development. It is expected to have a direct impact on the economic life in the country by attracting world-class companies to set up high-value added knowledge-based industries in Amman. It will also offer Jordanian professionals, employed outside the country, a greater opportunity to be employed in their country with an improved quality of life.

The Greater Amman Children Municipal Council, who invited the Amman Mayor to give them an update on progress in implementing the Master Plan was born of an initiative by the Executive Agency for a Child Friendly City (EACFC) which, along with its partners executed the first municipal elections for school children aged 12-15 in the four districts of Yarmouk, Ras El Ein, Khrebiet El Souk, and Basman, which yielded 77 student members of the first four Child Municipal Committees in Amman.

Also taking part in the event was President of the World Leadership Forum Malcolm Turner, who spoke from London through a Digital Video Conference (DVC) link, about the significance of Amman's nomination to the Award and the help this would give to the City's efforts to attract investments, generate prosperity, and provide a better life for future generations.