His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday urged the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) to further invest in young entrepreneurs.

During a meeting with members of KAFD’s board of trustees, His Majesty said the fund should give top priority to empowering citizens, economically and socially, especially the young.

“The fund’s role is important in the coming stage and an integral part of our drive towards comprehensive reform, especially in relation to the community empowerment programme,” the King told KAFD’s board members.

He said more focus should be placed on plans to develop governorates and communities outside the capital. It is of great importance, His Majesty told board members, to work for more active popular participation in public life, and that citizens need to be engaged in a “culture of dialogue” and to embrace “democratic values”.

His Majesty said communities in targeted areas should also be made aware of the importance of voluntary work, expressing optimism over the expected outcome of the fund’s programmes, especially those promoting creativity, excellence and entrepreneurship.

His Majesty emphasised the need to maintain constant contact with citizens and civil society organisations so they can play a more effective role in the development process.

The King pointed out that the fund should provide productive and sustainable work opportunities “that can improve citizens’ living standards”, in line with its mission, and in cooperation with state institutions.

He also called for focusing on income-generating projects, especially in agriculture, which he described as a promising job-generating sector.

At the meeting, Omar Razzaz, president of KAFD’s board of trustees, highlighted the fund’s strategy and its new initiatives and programmes, seeking to create value-added projects, besides working on its democracy empowerment programme.

Established in 2001 as a non-governmental organisation, KAFD was entrusted with supporting human and infrastructure development.