His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said Jordan has witnessed many drastic transformations in terms of development, modernisation and reform over the past decade.

In an interview with Al Hayat newspaper, the second part of which was published Tuesday, King Abdullah highlighted Jordan's progress in economic development, infrastructure development, the education and health sectors, and citizens' empowerment.

King Abdullah stressed that several megaprojects are being implemented in the Kingdom at the cost of $15 billion over the next several years. He said these projects are central to reviving the national economy and meeting Jordan's essential needs in the field of energy and other economic sectors.

He also discussed the link between economic prosperity and development and stability, saying that work is under way to establish “mechanisms that allow us to develop our country and improve Jordanians' standard of living and provide our citizens with best opportunities for achievement and creativity”.

King Abdullah said economic and non-economic indicators that show that the growth rate exceeded six per cent during the past decade, during which exports rose by 100 per cent, whereas foreign investment stood at $2 billion annually.

In response to a question regarding the idea of an “alternative homeland” for the Palestinian people in Jordan, King Abdullah stressed that the alternative homeland is “not part of [Jordanians'] dictionary”, noting that Jordan does not fear this idea, which he said is unfortunately discussed even by sceptics inside Jordan.

He said Jordan is capable of protecting its interests.

King Abdullah stressed that the two-state solution, which allows the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil, is the only path to peace.

Describing global and regional developments over the past 10 years, the King said the past decade was a tremendously difficult period, marked by transformations and momentous events in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and other countries.

He noted that the past decade also required “deep and serious thinking about how to deal with these events in a way that preserves Arab interests and achieves the security, stability and the development that the Arab people and their countries deserve”.

“We have worked and continue to work to address the consequences of these events,” King Abdullah said. “The challenge lies in maintaining coordination and consultation among us as Arabs, not just in overcoming the repercussions of these difficult transformations. [We must] draw lessons from the past and to be better prepared to protect our interests in the future.”

King Abdullah described the relationship between the Kingdom and Saudi Arabia as “excellent”, noting that bilateral relations are stable and constantly expanding.

“My relationship with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is truly brotherly and deep,” said. “We constantly coordinate and consult with each other, and we regularly have candid discussions about issues that are of mutual interest and that concern our bilateral ties and regional and international issues. We also highly appreciate the unwavering support Jordan receives from Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.”.

The King stressed that Jordan's relationship with Syria is strong and warm and based on cooperation, adding that his relationship with President Bashar Assad is very strong and that he and the Syrian president are keen to develop bilateral ties at all levels.

Underlining the strong relationship between Jordan and Iraq, King Abdullah said the Kingdom is extremely keen on Iraq's security and stability, expressing his hope that Iraq will regain its stability and prestige in order for its people to live in their own country where security, peace and equality prevail.