His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday donated JD5 million for projects in the southern governorates in the fields of health and education, and instructed the government to give priority to training and recruitment programmes for Maan residents.

At a meeting with over 500 Maan community leaders and representatives from the governorate, the King was briefed on Maan's needs and concerns.

In his remarks at the meeting, King Abdullah said that he hoped this year would see projects that create jobs and benefit the area.

Maan is home to 110,000 citizens and the country's largest governorate in terms of territory, and suffers considerable poverty and unemployment. Acknowledeging the difficulty of conditions in the area, King Abdullah said that serious work, proper planning and perseverance would contribute to building a better future.

He added that his first concern and top priority is to provide Jordanians with the best services and ensure a decent standards of living.

The King said cabinet officials and Maan community leaders and representatives will meet at the Royal Court next week to coordinate views on the area's priorities. He added that he plans to visit Maan again to inaugurate new projects.

During the visit, thousands of residents turned out to greet the King, who instructed the government to rehabilitate Maan's sole public hospital, expand it and supply it with the required medical equipment and staff.

The hospital's director, Abdullah Bazaiaa, said the facility, established in 1985 in the centre of the city, needs to be relocated and expanded. He added that the hospital lacks many specialties, and is in dire need of a larger emergency unit as it is located near a highway where on average two road accidents occur per day.

Bazaiaa said some 600 people report to the 131-bed hospital each day, adding that it specifically needs cardiologists and neurologists.

King Abdullah also visited Moath Ben Jabal Basic School for Boys. He asked that a new school be build to accommodate the increasing number of students and help address the problem of rented schools in the area.

He also donated JD10,000 to each teachers' club in the country's 12 governorates with a view to enhancing services to members and their families.

During the meeting, Maan Governor Ali Azzam reviewed the governorate's needs, which include addressing the issue of houses built on state-owned land, the construction of a military hospital, increasing oil allocations to the governorate's municipalities and increasing the government's support for Al Hussein Ben Talal University.

The local community leaders said the area also needs additional schools and classrooms, as well as new sewage networks in the Wadi Musa area, Azzam said.

The governor added that work is 70 per cent complete on a residential complex near the university, adding that the complex will help increase the number of students at the university.

He added that the Maan Development Area, a company established in 2007 to develop a special economic zone in the area, has so far attracted JD115 million worth of investments.