His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday donated JD2 million for the Teachers' Housing Project, while the private sector contributed JD8 million to the scheme, which seeks to make it easier for the country's teachers to own their own homes.

The project envisions the construction of housing units across the country, to be built on land donated by King Abdullah under a Royal Makruma. The target is to complete 5,000 units a year.

During Sunday's meeting, attended by education officials, teachers and private sector representatives, King Abdullah voiced his support for the project.

“I am aware of the conditions of teachers and the challenges they face, but I want to assure you that you have my full support,” the King said, adding that teachers play a significant role in building future generations.

Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Touqan, who gave a presentation about the project, said a total of 13 areas across the Kingdom have been selected for the construction of housing units, noting that some 80,000 teachers will benefit from the project over the coming 10 years.

The price of the housing units range from JD26,000 to JD35,000, Touqan said, adding that the apartments will be 120, 140 and 160 square metres in area.

Under the project's first phase, 700 units will be built in Aqaba, 520 in Karak Governorate and 1,200 in Zarqa Governorate, according to Touqan, who said the designs for the units were ready and construction would start as soon as possible.

Other phases will cover the rest of the Kingdom to benefit all teachers in the country, he added.

Also, Touqan said the donations from King Abdullah and the private sector will help accelerate the implementation of the project, as the ministry's housing and security funds suffer from a shortage of financial resources.

Teachers present at Sunday's meeting said the donations from His Majesty and the private sector would help facilitate and speed up the process of owning their own homes.