His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday called for a comprehensive study to set up development funds that help fight poverty and unemployment in the country's various districts.



At a meeting with notables representing the Circassian and Chechen communities in Jordan, part of a series of meeting with community leaders, the King said the proposed funds should be designed after the King Abdullah Fund for the Development of Badia.



These organizations, he said, should work in parallel with government programmes to combat poverty and unemployment and take into consideration the actual needs of residents in the areas targeted by their services.



Meanwhile, the King reiterated the need to provide the younger generation with education opportunities that prepare them to meet the requirements of the future labor market.



“What we want from you,” the King told the key figures, “is to suggest mechanisms and programmes in collaboration with the Royal Hashemite Court and the government, which are aimed at alleviating poverty and creating jobs.”



Adnan Kalimat, head of the Circassian Tribal Council, said a joint Circassian-Chechen committee was formed to meet with the government and discuss problems faced by their communities in order to work out solutions for them.



Before the meeting with the King, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit met with the delegates and was briefed on their demands.



These focused on better healthcare and education services, the allocation of more state land for Chechen tribes, further support of youth and sports activities and improving the living conditions of the poor in their areas.



The premier told the community leaders that the government is working seriously to implement its development plans, promising to include their demands on the government's priority list and meet as many of them as possible.

The Jordan Times