Jordan's King Abdullah II swears in new government with reform ambitions

Harvard-educated Jafar Hassan takes the reins as kingdom struggles with economic impact of Gaza war

Jordan's King Abdullah II swore in a new government on Wednesday. RHC

King Abdullah II of Jordan swore in a new government on Wednesday, state media said, as the kingdom seeks to boost lacklustre economic growth amid a modernisation drive.

State news agency Petra reported that Harvard-educated Jafar Hassan would lead the government following the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh.

Veteran Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who has struck a strong anti-Israel tone since the outbreak of the Gaza war, kept his post in the new 32-member cabinet.

The ministers were sworn in at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman in front of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Petra said.

Mr Hassan outlined priorities for his new government including a commitment to continuing modernisation, the news agency reported. Mr Hassan was previously the head of King Abdullah's office.

Jordan is trying to rein in more than $50 billion in public debt and bring down high unemployment. The kingdom has been a recipient of billions of dollars of foreign aid from Western donors.

The king has advocated a modernisation drive but the country's more conservative religious opposition made significant gains in parliamentary elections earlier this month. However, pro-government members retained their majority in the 138-seat parliament. All significant powers in Jordan reside with the king, who has ruled since 1999.

The opposition gained 31 parliamentary seats – its most in decades. They have been vocal in their support for Hamas in the Gaza conflict and have organised some of the largest anti-Israel protests in the Middle East.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab state to do so after Egypt, but regular protests have called for its cancellation since the war erupted last October.

Tensions were heightened this month after a Jordanian lorry driver killed three Israelis at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, a major trade route with Israel. The crossing was closed for several days before being reopened to travellers.

Less than one-third of eligible voters cast ballots in the recent election, according to an official tally, with public anger rising over tensions with Israel and a sluggish economy.

Mr Hassan, a technocrat, will face the challenges of mitigating the economic impact of the Gaza war. Jordan has been hit hard by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.

New Finance Minister Abdul Hakim Al Shibli replaces veteran Mohammad Al Ississ, who won praise from the International Monetary Fund for stepping up reforms and maintaining fiscal prudence.

Jordan has seen a decade of lacklustre economic growth, hovering at about 2 per cent, that has been worsened by the Covid pandemic and conflicts in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

Agencies contributed to this report