His Majesty King Abdullah opened the preparatory meeting of the We Are All Jordan Forum, telling 700 Jordanians gathered at the Dead Sea for the meeting that it was time for the country to work "towards a renaissance in Jordan, making the future we aspire to and facing internal and external challenges which you are all aware of.”

The forum is an initiative of King Abdullah, convened so that Jordanians can define their national priorities. During an unofficial discussion and voting session, participants were asked to prioritise what they saw as the country's 10 most urgent issues out of a list of 30. Participants were divided into 70 groups, each of which elected a moderator.

Those gathered identified instilling the values of citizenship and a sense of belonging as priorities the country should address first.

The second in importance, according to the majority, was the state's sovereignty and protecting the national interest, followed by national security, good governance, independence of the judiciary, alleviating poverty, human rights, the fight against terror and takfiri ideology, and educational development.

The list continued with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, financial stability, healthcare and comprehensive health insurance, political party development and attracting investments.

The participants, among them Cabinet ministers, senators, deputies, private sector, media and civil society principals, political party leaders and youth, are to meet again on July 26-27 to draft a plan of action that leads to the realisation of these priorities.

Noting that some earlier efforts to translate his vision for the country's future into workable plans failed, the King said there was now a need for a majority to “agree on an action plan that will guide everyone — government, Parliament, the private sector and civil society organisations — towards a renaissance in Jordan, making the future we aspire to and facing internal and external challenges which you are all aware of.”

“We are all Jordan” is not aimed at bypassing any other institution in Jordan, the King told the audience.

“Before accusations and rumours start rolling, I would like to emphasise that these meetings are unofficial, and that they do not transgress any of the state's institutions, which I protect and safeguard in accordance with the Constitution. What we desire from these meetings is a unified concept and a single vision, in one spirit, that we are all Jordan, and that we all want to work for Jordan in an organised way, free of personal agendas or desires, or personal or party interests.”