His Majesty King Abdullah said Tuesday focus in 2009 will be placed on plans to improve and develop the agricultural sector to help farmers overcome the challenges facing them.

At a meeting with local community leaders in Arda District near Salt, King Abdullah urged the government and Parliament to cooperate to realise decentralisation in local governance, noting that the residents of the Kingdom's areas are more aware of their needs and the challenges they face.

“There should be cooperation between the government and Parliament to draw up a mechanism to enhance decentralisation,” the King said, stressing that decentralisation is the priority as far as Jordan's future development plans are concerned.

At the meeting, the King stressed his keenness to help address the challenges facing residents of Arda, a rural area inhabited by some 11,000 people.

His Majesty, who directed the government to study and implement the demands of the residents, said: “We are here to listen to you… and we will work on solving your problems through cooperation between the government and the Royal Court.”

Representatives of Arda residents, thousands of whom lined up in the streets to greet the King, demanded improvements to the conditions of healthcare centres, a sewage network, a knowledge station and an IT learning centre that is part a nationwide network of such facilities run by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development.

As agriculture is the economic activity for the district's residents, they called for opening new roads and carrying out maintenance work on the existing roads used to transport their harvests. They also called for financial support for indebted farmers.

They also called for building a secondary school, conducting maintenance work for the schools in the area, especially since some are rented buildings and in bad shape, and supporting charities in the area to help them implement social development programmes.

Prime Minister Nader Dahabi said the government will study the needs and demands of the residents and work to enhance their living conditions.