His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with community leaders and representatives of the northern Bani Kinanah District, who briefed him on residents’ concerns and challenges to enhancing the living conditions and improving services provided for the district’s residents.

The district’s notables expressed support for the reform process and urged rapid anti-corruption efforts and work to improve living conditions of Jordanians across the country.

The representatives emphasised the need to preserve national unity, which they described as the pillar of national efforts to confront attempts to tamper with the country’s stability against the background of turmoil elsewhere in the Arab world.

Parliamentary Deputy Ali Malkawi, who stressed support for the reform process, reviewed the area’s priorities, including the construction of schools as well as factories for packing olive oil and dairy products as the majority of the district’s residents livelihood depends on livestock.

He also urged financial support for municipalities in the area.

In a speech at the meeting, former Deputy Saleh Zu’bi said preserving national unity, protecting the internal front, entrenching democracy and activating political development are the guarantees of Jordan’s security.

He also called for the allocation of JD2 million for a job creation fund for youth and said the area is in need of youth centres and sports facilities for young people. He also called for transforming Al Yarmouk Hospital into a military-run hospital.

Speakers also appealed to King Abdullah to pardon Ahmad Daqamseh, a Jordanian soldier who killed Israeli schoolgirls and was sentenced to life.

At the end of the meeting, the King was presented with a gift from the district’s residents.