His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with tribal leaders and notables from the Tafileh Governorate and the neighbourhood of Hai Tafaileh in Amman, expressing his appreciation for their pivotal role in building Jordan.

During the meeting, held at the Royal Court, King Abdullah noted that addressing poverty and unemployment challenges in Tafileh and other cities was among his top priorities, adding that he would instruct the government to secure funding for the Governorates Development Fund to finance income-generating and development projects to alleviate people’s financial burdens.

“I am proud and very happy to meet my people from Tafileh in the house of all Jordanians [Royal Court] and I highly appreciate your key role in building Jordanian society,” the King told the Tafileh residents.

“It is my duty and other public agencies’ duty to always help you... I want you to know that I am sparing no effort to alleviate your burdens,” he added.

On reform, the King underlined that Jordan is on the right track but “there is a lot to be done”.

His Majesty urged Tafileh residents to think about development projects that can contribute to improving the economic situation in their city.

Noting that the integrity of the “internal front” was the basis for moving forward with the Kingdom’s reform endeavour in order to fulfil the ambitions and aspirations of all Jordanians, the King underscored that he supports popular movements that abide by the law and seek to bring about a better future.

“I am an advocate of achieving reform and combating corruption, and I am with public demands seeking change, but we have to be logical, giving priority to reason and dialogue to move forward and protect Jordan from the influences of its turbulent surroundings,” the King stated.

His Majesty highlighted legislative amendments achieved so far, including last year’s constitutional amendments and the law governing the independent elections commission, whose members, he said, will be announced in the next few days.

The King said he would instruct the government to swiftly carry out the necessary legal procedures to release several Tafileh activists and others who were arrested during a protest near the Prime Ministry last month.