His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday checked on the phosphate hills rehabilitation project in Ruseifa, launched in 2021.

King Abdullah listened to a briefing by acting prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Local Administration Minister Tawfiq Kreishan, who heads the follow-up committee on the phosphate hills rehabilitation project.

Kreishan said the project includes rehabilitating 1,700 dunums as part of efforts to address ecological challenges in the area, noting that work targeted areas with high pollution levels, and rehabilitation efforts included creating a public park, building a wall to protect the rehabilitated area, planting trees around the park, and revamping the livestock market.

For his part, Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Chairman Mohammad Thneibat said the cost of the project reached JD35 million.

Thneibat said the phosphate hills rehabilitation project in Ruseifa is the biggest ecological project that addresses environmental issues resulting from mining, adding that the JPMC invested in the rehabilitation project through carburising and shipping 2.3 tonnes of phosphate.

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh gave a briefing on the Greater Amman Municipality’s efforts on the first phase, which included preparing 240 out of 600 dunums to cultivate them over phases, with 25 dunums of these lands now planted with trees.

He added that GAM has carried out tests of the soil and identified types of plants that suit the soil and can thrive in the area’s environmental conditions.

His Majesty also inaugurated the Ruseifa ecological park, which includes 15,000 trees extending on an area of 76 dunums, and surrounded by additional 100 dunums planted with nearly 3,000 trees on a land owned by the Environment Ministry.

The King visited facilities at the park, which was built at cost of JD2.5 million as part of the phosphate hills rehabilitation project, and called for developing a plan to utilise other rehabilitated land to better serve Ruseifa residents.

His Majesty said there is a need to address challenges in other areas from environmental, organisational, and service-related aspects.