His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said that the leadership is working to further open up to the country's youth and urged young Jordanians to be active contributors to the reform process.

During a meeting with a group of young Jordanians, from various backgrounds, King Abdullah emphasised his readiness to listen to the younger generation and consider their proposals to steer the country into the future.

“We are working, with all our efforts, to be open to the young and boost the mechanisms of dialogue with them,” the King told the group.

He underlined the need for programmes designed to fully tap the potential of young people and open new horizons for them.

He stressed that he is keen to see the government attend to young people's needs and the challenges facing them, citing unemployment as a major problem to tackle.

King Abdullah also urged the young people to become more involved in political and social dialogue that aims to place Jordan on the right track of progress and safeguard its achievements.

He encouraged them to elect representatives who have integrity and the ability to serve the higher interests of Jordan, “not only at universities but also at the national level: in municipalities, associations and Parliament”.

King Abdullah also stressed the need for the youth to confront all counterproductive phenomena at universities, which are supposed to produce generations of well-trained and highly qualified graduates who can join the workforce and enhance development.

“We hope for a future that is made by the young generation in accordance with a comprehensive economic, social and political programme,” King Abdullah said.

“It is we who are calling for political and economic reform, for strengthening partisan life and for everybody's participation in decision making,” he added.

On the Palestinian question, he said: “We are doing our utmost to see a just solution to the Palestinian issue. We support the right of return and work to protect Jerusalem.”

The meeting is part of a series of meetings King Abdullah is holding with representatives of the Jordanian community to discuss the next steps towards achieving the envisaged reform.

“There is no going back, and all citizens, men and women, are partners in this endeavour,” he said.

The King also called for teamwork to preserve and solidify the domestic front to face various challenges, stressing the key role of youths in maintaining the country's security and stability.

King Abdullah and participants in the meeting discussed how to deal with various issues of concern, with young people proposing ways to become more involved in public life and keep in contact with state institutions.