Expatriate Forums in Middle East

JOBS VACANCIES ANNOUNCEMENTS-TOTAL ENERGY PETROCHEMICAL

Mrs. Belinda — Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:49 pm

Author: Mrs. Belinda

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:49 pm

Hello Everyone,
We take this opportunity to publicly make this last announcement to every liked minded individual, that the TOTAL ENERGY PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY (UK) PLC. Is hereby announcing jobs vacancies/ training programme 2009 in United Kingdom . We need the services of able men and women around the globe to fill in the jobs gap placement in our company in United Kingdom. Below are the summaries
list of jobs vacancies with Total Energy Company as follow :- Accounting / Audit / Taxation Jobs, Administration / Clerical Support / Service, Jobs, Banking, Business Analysis / Data Analysis Jobs, Business Consultancy Jobs, Business Development Jobs, Call Centre Jobs, Civil Services Jobs, Company Secretary Jobs, Customer Service Jobs, Design Jobs, Documentary Credit / Bills Processing, Energy / Natural Resources / Oil & Gas, Engineering Jobs, General Management Jobs, Hospitality / Hotel Services Jobs, Human Resources / Recruitment Jobs, Information Technology (I.T.) Jobs, Insurance Jobs, Junior Executive Jobs, Legal & Compliance Jobs, Inventorying, Marketing / Public Relations Jobs, Merchandising Jobs, Order Processing & Operation / Setting, Others Jobs, Petroleum / Petrochemical Jobs, Procurement / Purchasing / Sourcing
Jobs, Research & Development (R&D) Jobs, Research / Survey Services Jobs, Sales Jobs, Student / Fresh Graduate / No Experience, Telecommunications Jobs, Top Executives (CEO, CFO, CTO, GM, Manager, Tourism / Travel Agency Jobs, Trading Jobs, Transportation / Shipping / Freighting, and many more jobs place available.

Thanks for your audience to read this publication message.
Mrs. Belinda Clifford
(Chief international Announcement officer).
Total Energy Company Plc London - United

Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC)

siewlee26 — Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:28 pm

Author: siewlee26

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:28 pm

Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC)

International Future City of Vietnam
Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC); the first satellite township concept in Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province; incorporates housing, commercial and recreational complexes to present the opportunity for the elite in Vietnam to experience luxury life where home, work, business and play are all within reach in a secured environment. With the essence of design contributed by specialists with hands-on housing scheme development experiences in Hong Kong, China, India, Australia and Malaysia, NTCC is shaped to be the International Future City of Vietnam!

Strategic Location
The position of NTCC in the would-be administrative center of Nhon Trach; which is about 60km from the bustling HCMC, in close proximity to numerous established industrial parks, namely Nhon Trach Industrial Park I-VI; benefits our tenants / owners in taking advantage of all the current and future planning for either Nhon Trach or its neighbouring cities in the south, collectively known as Southern Key Economic Zone.

Office Tower - NTCC’s kick off!!
NTCC will begin with the construction of our 15-storey Office Tower (Block H) which will be the first international standard high-rise office building in the heart of Nhon Trach. The elegance of the featured façade coupled with the creatively designed floor spaces shall fulfill every discerning owners’ differing investment requirements. Still hesitating? The following facts may help you decide:

- Total net floor area : approx. 16,448 m2 with typical sizes of about 76 m2 to 699 m2 / unit, or up to 1,480 m2 / floor.
- Spacious parking lots in basement and open car parks.
- Floor to ceiling height of 2.6m to 4.0m spreads out high-end visuals.
- Central air-conditioning system.
- 3 high speed passenger lifts and 1 service lift.
- Round-the-clock security services with CCTV surrounding the building.
- Managed by Professional Property Management Company.

Our elegant and first ever Office Tower in Nhon Trach is now opened for registration. It’s only 15 floors. Hurry and be amongst pioneer new owners!! For more details and registration, please contact us via :-

Marketing Hotline : +84 (933) 268 968

FX Currency Trading / Forex FX Trading Online - Know More

admin — Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:38 pm

Author: admin

Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:38 pm

Forex Trading – FX Trading

Foreign Exchange
This short introduction explains the basics of trading Forex online, a brief explanation of the markets and the major benefits of trading Forex online. There are also two scenarios describing the implications of trading in a bear as well as bull market to better acquaint you with some of the risks and opportunities in the largest and most liquid market in the world.

As an additional aid for those who are new to Forex, there is also a glossary at the bottom of this text which explains some of the terms used in connection with currency trading.

Overview
Foreign exchange , forex or just Forex are all terms used to describe the trading of the world's many currencies. The forex market is the largest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than $1.5 trillion every day. This is more than one hundred times the daily trading on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) . Most forex trading is speculative , with only a few percent of market activity representing governments' and companies' fundamental currency conversion needs.

Unlike trading on the stock market, the forex market is not carried out by a central exchange, but on the "interbank" market , which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter ) market. Trading takes place directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. The main centres for trading are Sydney, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York. This worldwide distribution of trading centres means that the forex market is a 24-hour market.

Trading Forex
A currency trade is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another one. The currency combination used in the trade is called a cross (for example, the Euro/US Dollar, or the GB Pound/Japanese Yen.). The most commonly traded currencies are the so-called "majors" - EURUSD, USDJPY, USDCHF and GBPUSD.

The most important forex market is the spot market as it has the largest volume. The market is called the spot market because trades are settled "immediately" or on the spot. In practice this means within two banking days.

Trading on Margin
Trading on margin means that you can buy and sell assets that represent more value than the capital in your account. Forex trading is usually done with relatively little margin since currency exchange rate fluctuations tend to be less than one or two percent on any given day. To take an example, a margin of 2.0% means you can trade up to $500,000 even though you only have $10,000 in your account. In terms of leverage this corresponds to 50:1, because 50 times $10,000 is $500,000, or put another way, $10,000 is 2.0% of $500.000. Using this much leverage gives you the possibility to make profits very quickly, but there is also a greater risk of incurring large losses and even being completely wiped out. Therefore, it is inadvisable to maximise your leveraging as the risks can be very high. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.

Why trade Forex?

24 hour trading
One of the major advantages of trading forex is the opportunity to trade 24 hours a day from Sunday evening (20:00 GMT) to Friday evening (22:00 GMT). This gives you a unique opportunity to react instantly to breaking news that is affecting the markets.
Superior liquidity
The forex market is so liquid that there are always buyers and sellers to trade with. The liquidity of this market, especially that of the major currencies, helps ensure price stability and low spreads . The liquidity comes mainly from large and smaller banks that provide liquidity to investors, companies, institutions and other currency market players.
No commissions
The fact that forex is often traded without commissions makes it very attractive as an investment opportunity for investors who want to deal on a frequent basis. Trading the "majors" is also cheaper than trading other crosss because of the high level of liquidity. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.
50:1 Leverage
With a minimum account of USD 10,000, for example, you can trade up to USD 500,000. The USD 10,000 is posted on margin as a guarantee for the future performance of your position.
Profit potential in falling markets
Since the market is constantly moving, there are always trading opportunities, whether a currency is strengthening or weakening in relation to another currency. When you trade currencies, they literally work against each other. If the EURUSD declines, for example, it is because the U.S. dollar gets stronger against the Euro and vice versa. So, if you think the EURUSD will decline (that is, that the Euro will weaken versus the dollar), you would sell EUR now and then later you buy Euro back at a lower price and take your profits. The opposite trading scenario would occur if the EURUSD appreciates .

Important Forex Trading Terms

Spread
The spread is the difference between the price that you can sell currency at ( Bid ) and the price you can buy currency at ( Ask ). The spread on majors is usually 5 pips under normal market conditions. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.
Pips
A pip is the smallest unit by which a cross price quote changes. When trading forex you will often hear that there is a 5-pip spread when you trade the majors. This spread is revealed when you compare the bid and the ask price, for example EURUSD is quoted at a bid price of 0.9875 and an ask price of 0.9880. The difference is USD 0.0005, which is equal to 5 "pips". On a contract or position, the value of a pip can easily be calculated. You know that the EURUSD is quoted with four decimals, so all you have to do is the cancel-out the four zeros on the amount you trade and you will have one pip. Thus, on a EURUSD 100,000 contract, one pip is USD 10. On a USDJPY 100,000 contract, one pip is equal to 1000 yen, because USDJPY is quoted with only two decimals.

Trading Scenario - Trading Rising Prices
If you believe that the Euro will strengthen against the dollar you'll want to buy Euro now and sell it back later at a higher price.

You buy Euro	We quote EURUSD at Bid 0.9875 and Ask 0.9880, which means that you can sell 1 Euro for 0.9875 USD or buy 1 Euro for 0.9880 USD. In this example you buy Euro 100,000, at the quote price of 0.9880 (ask price) per Euro.
The market turns	Later the market turns in favour of the Euro and the EURUSD is now quoted at Bid 0.9894 and Ask 0.9899.
Now you want to sell your Euro and get the profit	You sell Euro at a Bid price of 0.9894.
The profit is calculated as follows:	Sell price-buy price x size of trade (0.9894 minus 0.9880) multiplied by 100.000 = $140 Profit (Note that the profit or loss is always expressed in the secondary currency )

Trading Scenario - Trading Falling Prices
If, on the other hand, you believe that the Euro will weaken against the dollar, you'll want to sell EURUSD.

You sell Euro	We quote EURUSD at a Bid price of 0.9875 and Ask price of 0.9880 and you decide to sellEuro 100,000 at a Bid price of 0.9875.
The market moves in your favour	The Euro weakens against the dollar and the EURUSD is now quoted at bid 0.9744 and ask 0.9749.
Now you buy back your Euro	You buy EUR at an ask price of 0.9749.
Your Profit/loss is then	Sell price-buy price x size of trade (0.9875 minus 0.9749) multiplied by 100.000 = $ 1260 Profit

Remember that trading EUR 100,000 as we have done in our examples, does not mean that you have to put up Euro 100,000 yourself. It means that you have to deposit 2.0% of Euro 100,000, which is Euro 2,000 on margin as a guarantee for the future performance of your position.

Further Reading
To see how you can trade the forex market and benefit from our toolbox of information and live quotes, please proceed to our Forex Quick Start found under the Trading menu on the toolbar, under Forex.

Glossary

Appreciation	Anincrease in the value of a currency.
Ask	Theprice at which you can buy. Traders also speak of an ask price,the price requested. This usually indicates the lowest price aseller will accept.
Basecurrency	Thecurrency that the investor buys or sells (i.e. EUR in EURUSD).
Bear	Someonewho believes prices are heading down. A bear market is one inwhich there is a sustained fall in prices and which does not looklike it will recover quickly.
Bid	Theprice at which you can sell. Traders also speak of a bid price,the price offered. This usually indicates the top price apurchaser will pay.
Bid/Ask	TheBid rate is the rate at which you sell. The Ask (or offer) rate isthe rate at which you can buy.
Bull	Someonewho is optimistic about the market. A bull market is characterisedby enthusiastic and sustained buying.
cross	Whentrading currencies, the investor buys one currency againstanother. These two currencies form the cross: for example, EURUSD.
Crossrate	Anexchange rate that is calculated from two other exchange rates.
Depreciation/decline	Afall in the value of a currency.
Exchangerate	Whatone currency is worth in terms of another, for example the $Amight be worth 58 US cents or 70 yen. Currencies traded freely onforeign-exchange markets have a spot rate (applying to tradessettled 'spot', ie, two working days hence) and a forward rate.Countries can determine their exchange rates in a variety of ways:a floating exchange rate system where the currency finds its ownlevel in the market; a crawling or flexible peg system which is acombination of an officially fixed rate and frequent smalladjustments which in theory work against a build-up of speculationabout a revaluation or devaluation; a fixed exchange-rate systemwhere the value of the currency is set by the government and/orthe central bank.
EURUSD	Meansthat you trade EUR against dollars. If you buy Euro you pay indollars and if you sell Euro you receive dollars.
FX,Forex, Foreign Exchange	Allnames for the transaction of one currency for another, e.g. youbuy £100.00 with $150.25 or sell $150.25 for £100.00.
Interbank	Short-term(often overnight) borrowing and lending between banks, as distinctfrom banks' business with their corporate clients or otherfinancial institutions.
Interestrate differential	Theyield spread between two otherwise comparable debt instrumentsdenominated in different currencies.
Leverage(gearing)	Inthis case leverage means that the investor only funds part of theamount traded.
Long	Tobuy.
Longposition	Aposition that increases its value if market prices increase.
Liquid(-ity)	Thecapacity to be converted easily and with minimum loss into cash.Ultra-short-dated treasury notes are an example of a liquidinvestment. A liquid market is one in which there is enoughactivity to satisfy both buyers and sellers.
Margin	Theinitial amount or deposit required when entering into a position.Margin is a guarantee for future performance.
NYSE	Acomputerised system providing brokers with the prices of sharesand securities traded on the New York stock exchange and over thecounter. The quotes are published in real-time.
Openposition	Aposition in a currency that has not yet been offset. For example,if you have bought 100,000 USDJPY, you have an open position inUSDJPY until you offset it by selling 100,000 USDJPY.
"Overthe counter"	Whentrading takes place directly between two parties, rather than onan exchange.
Pips	Apip is the smallest unit by which a cross price quote changes. Soif EURUSD bid is now quoted at 0.9767 and it moves up 2 pips, itwill now be quoted at 0.9769.
Position	Money-market,futures, foreign-exchange and sharemarket traders talk of 'takinga position' which simply means buying or selling one currencycross. 'Position' can also refer to a trader'scash/securities/currencies balance, whether he or she is short ofcash, has money to lend, is overbought or oversold in a currency,etc.
Risk	Tryingto control outcomes to a known or predictable range of gains orlosses. Risk management involves a set of steps which begin with asound understanding of one's business and the exposures or risksthat have to be covered to protect the value of that business.Then an assessment should be made of the types of variables thatcan affect the business and how best to protect against unwelcomeoutcomes. Consideration must also be given to the preferred riskprofile - whether one is risk- averse or fairly aggressive inapproach. This also involves deciding which instruments to use tomanage risk, and whether a natural hedge exists that can be used.Once undertaken, a risk-management strategy should be continuallyassessed for effectiveness and cost.
Secondarycurrency (variable currency or counter currency)	Thecurrency that the investor trades the base currency against (i.e.USD in EURUSD).
Shortposition	Aposition that benefits from a decline in market prices.
Short	Tosell.
Speculative	Buyingand selling in the hope of making a profit, rather than doing sofor some fundamental business-related need.
Spot	ASpot rate is the current market price of an asset.
Spotmarket	Thepart of the market calling for spot settlement of transactions.The precise meaning of 'spot' will depend on local custom for acommodity, security or currency. In the UK, US and Australianforeign-exchange markets, 'spot' means delivery two working dayshence.
Spread	Thedifference between the bid and the ask rate.

Today'sForex News
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Live Updates
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Forex Market Information

Federal Reserve Banks' "All About the Foreign Exchange Markets in the United States"

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News

Spireites close in on Jordan deal - BBC Sport

Jordan News — Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Author: Jordan News

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Team talk

Spireites close in on Jordan deal
BBC Sport, UK - 10 hours ago
Jordan has been on trial with the Spireites for the last two weeks and featured in the Spireites pre-season victories over Matlock and Hucknall. ...
JORDAN HANDED SPIREITES CONTRACT Sportinglife.com
Jordan handed Spireites contract Team talk
all 3 related

Jordan Islamist deputies on trial over Zarqawi visit - Reut

Jordan News — Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Author: Jordan News

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Jordan Islamist deputies on trial over Zarqawi visit
Reuters AlertNet, UK - 10 hours ago
AMMAN, July 24 (Reuters) - Three prominent Jordanian Islamist deputies went on trial on Monday on charges of sowing national discord by visiting the family of ...
Jordan tries Islamist legislators United Press International
Jordanian politicians plead not guilty in trial Irish Examiner
Trial of MPs who attended Al Zarqawi wake begins Gulf News
Middle East Times - all 7 related

Financial Services, Planners, Offshore Banking - Know More

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:07 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:07 pm

Financial Services, Planners, Offshore Banking - Know More

Dear members & guests

Due to the continuous marketing approach of our expatriate community by mutiple financial planners services company, Allo' Expat has decided to provided you with some usefull imformation on the Expat Offshore Banking issue. Hope you'll invest wisely..... in the future

Financial Advisors - who are they?

Q1 - How do I get the best offshore financial advice?

The best offshore financial advice is probably given by Independent Financial Advisors. Independent financial advisors (or IFA's, as they are sometimes called) advise their clients on savings, investments and pensions. They may also provide Savings Plans for offshore investing to their clients.

When counselling a client, the best offshore financial advisors should complete the following steps:

* Step 1 - collect detailed information about a client's financial circumstances and requirements ? be they for retirement planning, retirement income, expat investment, or another purpose.

* Step 2 - check all the offshore tax havens for the best offshore plans.

* Step 3 - provide impartial advice as to which plan(s) best meet their client's needs (in the form of a written report).

* Step 4 - arrange for a client to buy the chosen offshore plan(s) on the best terms available.

You may want to complete your own research to ensure you know the right questions to ask your advisor.

When all these stages are completed, you can be confident you have received the best offshore financial advice.

Q2 - What is a Certified Financial Advisor?

Financial advisors may need a license to practice, issued by the Financial Services Regulator in their Country. Only these advisors may be called 'Certified Financial Advisors'.

It may be a condition that prospective certified financial advisors show their Regulator that they are:

* competent to advise

* impartial in their advice

* independent of Providers

* covered by professional indemnity insurance.

So it is important to check that your financial advisor is listed under:

* Certified Financial Advisors, licensed to advise in the Country where you live and

* Independent Financial Advisors - advising on a wide range of offshore plans from a full list of providers.

Now you should feel confident you are receiving the best offshore financial advice.

Q3 - How are offshore financial advisors paid?

Independent financial advisors (IFA's) earn their living from commissions they receive from plan providers. This is their income for the offshore financial advice they give.

The commission that advisors (IFAs) receive from offshore financial advice cases may range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Good offshore financial advisors should not be influenced by the amount of commission they receive.

Some clients prefer to pay fees to their financial advisors for advice to ensure impartiality. When this occurs offshore financial advisors refund commission received from a plan provider either in cash or as an increased allocation of contributions invested.

Q4 -How do I find a list of Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs)?

Search the web! Try searching using the search words independent financial advisors or certified financial advisors PLUS the name of the Country in which you live.

Personal recommendations are always helpful - ask your friends if they would recommend their offshore financial advisors. Always check that a recommended advisor is both certified and independent.

Offshore Investing - What do that mean

Q1 - What is Offshore Investing or Offshore Investment?

When we talk about Offshore investing plan opportunities it is like the savings plans available in many countries, except these plans:

* Are registered in tax havens and are regulated by their Financial Services Authorities.

* Can be used for investing by non-residents of the tax havens.

* Are sometimes more tax efficient than or have other advantages over domestic savings plans.

Q2 - Why would expatriates choose offshore investing?

Expatriate investment in the savings plans catalogued here and offering offshore investing opprotunities might be appropriate when:

* No local or Home Country tax free regular savings plans are available.

* No local or Home Country tax free lump sum investment plans are available.

* An expatriate is planning to retire to a third country.

If you fit any of these categories of expatriates you should investigate the offshore plans researched by Offshore Boffin and consult your Financial Advisor.

Q3 - Are there other people who might benefit from Offshore Invesment?

Yes. People who are not living abroad might find offshore investment attractive in the following circumstances:

* They have more cash available for savings than can be invested tax free in their resident countries' investment plans (perhaps because the amount they can invest each year is capped).

* They may live in countries which do not have domestic tax free savings plans.

* They live in countries which are not suitable long-term investment environments for political or economic reasons.

* They wish to limit the effects of inheritance tac on their estates.

Q4 - Is there safe offshore investing?

The answer is that All investors should remember that the value of ALL their investments can go down as well as up!

Safe offshore investing is more likely by choosing plans:

* From politically stable tax havens - the quality of tax havens varies.

* From well-regulated tax havens - the tax havens whose savings plans are catalogued here all regulate their financial services companies to avoid 'fly-by-night' companies.

* From reputable investment management and life assurance companies - whilst past performance is not always a guide to the future, the companies whose savings plans are listed here are all well-known names.

* Investing in 'mutual' or 'collective' funds. these funds are based on a simple idea. If a large number of investors pool their savings in - for example - an equity fund, the larger fund can be invested in shares in many companies, spreading each individual's risk.

For expat investment - and others - to be successful the best offshore investment opportunities must be found. For that you'll need a good Financial Advisors.

Visa To Jordan / Jordan Immigration Guide

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:04 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:04 pm

VISA TO JORDAN / JORDAN IMMIGRATION GUIDE

Passports

Passport valid for six months required by all.

Visas

Required by all except the following:

(a) nationals of Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates and Yemen for maximum stays of one month (extensions may be obtained at the nearest police station);

(b) transit passengers continuing their journey to another country by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport. Some nationalities may obtain a seven-day transit visa upon arrival if travelling from a neighbouring Arab country. Transit visas can only be issued at Jordanian airports/airlines and not at embassies or consulates.

Note
1. (a) Nationals of certain countries – including all Western European countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA – can obtain visas on arrival at the airport in Jordan. Multiple-entry visas can only be obtained at the nearest Embassy/Consulate.

(b) For information about land border crossings, see the Travel - International section or contact the Embassy.

Types of visa and cost
Tourist, Transit and Business: £11 (single-entry); £21 (multiple-entry).

Validity

Validity varies according to nationality. For Australian, Canadian, UK and US nationals, visas are valid as follows: Tourist: Three months for single-entry, six months for multiple-entry; Business: Three months. After the first two weeks of stay, all visitors holding a visa must report to the nearest police station.

Application to

Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements
(a) Completed application form.
(b) Passport valid for at least six months with at least one blank page.
(c) One recent passport-size photo.
(d) Stamped, self-addressed, recorded or registered envelope if applying by post.
(e) Fee (only cash or postal orders are accepted). Business (a)-(e) and, (f) Company letter supporting application.

Working days required
Two if applying in person; two weeks by post once application has been received.

JORDAN PROFILE : Jordan Country Profile

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:02 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:02 pm

JORDAN PROFILE : Jordan Country Profile

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, commonly called Jordan (Arabic أردنّ, transliterated ʼUrdunn), is an Arab country in the Middle East. It is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, and Israel and the Israeli-administered West Bank to the west. It shares with Israel the coastlines of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea. Jordan's main religion is Islam and its main language is Arabic.

History of Jordan

The land that became Jordan forms part of the history-rich Fertile Crescent region. Its known history began around 2000 B.C., when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arab Muslims, Christian Crusaders, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, and, finally, the British. At the end of World War I, the territory now comprising Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem was awarded to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations as the mandate for Palestine. In 1922, in an attempt to assuage Arab anger resulting from the Balfour Declaration, with the approval of the League of Nations, the British created the semi-autonomous, Arab Emirate of Transjordan in all Palestinian territory east of the Jordan river. The British installed the Hashemite Prince Abdullah, while continuing the administration of Palestine and Transjordan under a single British High Commissioner. The mandate over Transjordan ended on 22 May 1946; on 25 May, the country became the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. It ended its special defense treaty relationship with the United Kingdom in 1957.

Transjordan opposed the creation of Israel in May 1948, and took part in the warfare between the Arab states and the newly founded State of Israel. The armistice agreements of 3 April 1949 left Jordan in control of the West Bank and provided that the armistice demarcation lines were without prejudice to future territorial settlements or boundary lines.

In 1950, Transjordan annexed the West Bank, and the country was renamed "the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan" to reflect this. The annexation was recognised only by the United Kingdom.

Jordan signed a mutual defense pact in May 1967 with Egypt, and it participated in the June 1967 war against Israel along with Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. During the war, Jordan lost its control of the West Bank and all of Jerusalem. In 1988, Jordan renounced all claims to the West Bank but retained an administrative role pending a final settlement, and its 1994 treaty with Israel allowed for a continuing Jordanian role in Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem. The international community as represented in the United Nations considers the West Bank to be territory occupied by Israel and believes that its final status should be determined through direct negotiations among the parties concerned on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

The 1967 war led to a dramatic increase in the number of Palestinians, especially from the West Bank, living in Jordan. Its Palestinian refugee population – 700,000 in 1966 – grew by another 300,000 from the West Bank. The period following the 1967 war saw an upsurge in the power and importance of Palestinian resistance elements (fedayeen) in Jordan. The heavily armed fedayeen constituted a growing threat to the sovereignty and security of the Hashemite state, and open fighting erupted in June 1970. The battle in which Palestinian fighters from various Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) groups were expelled from Jordan is commonly known as Black September

Other Arab governments attempted to work out a peaceful solution, but by September, continuing fedayeen actions in Jordan – including the destruction of three international airliners hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and held in the desert east of Amman – prompted the government to take action to regain control over its territory and population. In the ensuing heavy fighting, a Syrian tank force took up positions in northern Jordan to support the fedayeen but subsequently retreated. By 22 September, Arab foreign ministers meeting at Cairo had arranged a cease-fire beginning the following day. Sporadic violence continued, however, until Jordanian forces led by Habis Al-Majali won a decisive victory over the fedayeen in July 1971, expelling them from the country.

At the Rabat summit conference in 1974, Jordan agreed, along with the rest of the Arab League, that the PLO was the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people", thereby relinquishing to that organization its role as representative of the West Bank Palestinians.

No fighting occurred along the 1967 Jordan River cease-fire line during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war, but Jordan sent a brigade to Syria to fight Israeli units on Syrian territory. Jordan did not participate in the Gulf War of 1990-91. In 1991, Jordan agreed, along with Syria, Lebanon, and Palestinian representatives, to participate in direct peace negotiations with Israel sponsored by the U.S. and Russia. It negotiated an end to hostilities with Israel and signed a declaration to that effect on July 25, 1994 (see Washington Declaration). As a result, an Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty was concluded on October 26, 1994. Following the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in September 2000, the Jordanian government offered its good offices to both parties. Jordan has since sought to remain at peace with all of its neighbours.

On November 9, 2005, Jordan experienced three simultaneous bombings at hotels in Amman. At least 57 people died and 115 were wounded. Al-Qaeda in Iraq, a group led by native Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility.

Politics of Jordan

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy based on the constitution promulgated on January 8, 1952. Executive authority is vested in the king and his council of ministers. The king signs and executes all laws. His veto power may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the National Assembly. He appoints and may dismiss all judges by decree, approves amendments to the constitution, declares war, and commands the armed forces. Cabinet decisions, court judgments, and the national currency are issued in his name. The council of ministers, led by a prime minister, is appointed by the king, who may dismiss other cabinet members at the prime minister's request. The cabinet is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies on matters of general policy and can be forced to resign by a two-thirds vote of "no confidence" by that body.

Legislative power rests in the bicameral National Assembly. The 110-member Chamber of Deputies, elected by universal suffrage to a 4-year term, is subject to dissolution by the king. Nine seats are reserved for Christians, 6 for women, and three for Circassians and Chechens. The 40-member Senate is appointed by the king for an 8-year term.

The constitution provides for three categories of courts – civil, religious, and special. Administratively, Jordan is divided into eight governorates, each headed by a governor appointed by the king. They are the sole authorities for all government departments and development projects in their respective areas.

King Hussein ruled Jordan from 1953 to 1999, surviving a number of challenges to his rule, drawing on the loyalty of his military, and serving as a symbol of unity and stability for both the East Bank and Palestinian communities in Jordan. King Hussein ended martial law in 1991 and legalized political parties in 1992. In 1989 and 1993, Jordan held free and fair parliamentary elections. Controversial changes in the election law led Islamist parties to boycott the 1997 elections.

King Abdullah II succeeded his father Hussein following the latter's death in February 1999. Abdullah moved quickly to reaffirm Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and its relations with the United States. Abdullah, during the first year in power, refocused the government's agenda on economic reform.

Jordan's continuing structural economic difficulties, burgeoning population, and more open political environment led to the emergence of a variety of political parties. Moving toward greater independence, Jordan's parliament has investigated corruption charges against several regime figures and has become the major forum in which differing political views, including those of political Islamists, are expressed. While King Abdullah remains the ultimate authority in Jordan, the parliament plays an important role.

Governorates of Jordan

Administratively, Jordan is divided into 12 governorates, each headed by a governor appointed by the king. They are the sole authorities for all government departments and development projects in their respective areas.

Geography of Jordan

Jordan is a Middle Eastern country, bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south and Israel and West Bank to the west. All these border lines add up to 1619 km. The Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea also touch the country, and thus Jordan has a coastline of 26 km.

Jordan consists mostly of arid desert plateau in the east, with Highland area in the west. The Great Rift Valley of the Jordan River separates Jordan and Israel. The highest point in the country is Jabal Ram, while the lowest is the Dead Sea. Jordan is considered to be part of the "cradle of humanity".

Major cities include the capital Amman in the northwest, Irbid and Az Zarqa, both in the north.

The climate in Jordan is dry and hot, since the country is mainly desert. However, the western part of the country receives greater precipitation during the rainy season from November to April.

Economy of Jordan

Jordan is a small country with limited natural resources. The country is currently exploring ways to expand its limited water supply and use its existing water resources more efficiently, including through regional cooperation. Jordan also depends on external sources for the majority of its energy requirements. During the 1990s, its crude petroleum needs were met through imports from Iraq and neighboring countries. Since early 2003, oil has been provided by some Gulf Cooperation Council member countries. In addition, a natural gas pipeline from Egypt to the southern port city of Aqaba was completed in 2003. The government plans to extend this pipeline north to the Amman area and beyond. Since 2000, exports of light manufactured products, principally textiles and garments manufactured in the Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) that enter the United States tariff and quota free, have been driving economic growth. Jordan exported €5.6 million ($6.9 million) in goods to the U.S. in 1997, when two-way trade was €321 million ($395 million); it exported €538 million ($661 million) in 2002 with two-way trade at €855 million ($1.05 billion). Similar growth in exports to the United States under the bilateral Free Trade Agreement that went into effect in December 2001, to the European Union under the bilateral Association Agreement, and to countries in the region, holds considerable promise for diversifying Jordan's economy away from its traditional reliance on exports of phosphates and potash, overseas remittances, and foreign aid. The government has emphasized the information technology (IT) and tourism sectors as other promising growth sectors. The low tax and low regulation Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) is considered a model of a government-provided framework for private sector-led economic growth.

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States that went into effect in December 2001 will phase out duties on nearly all goods and services by 2010. The agreement also provides for more open markets in communications, construction, finance, health, transportation, and services, as well as strict application of international standards for the protection of intellectual property. In 1996, Jordan and the United States signed a civil aviation agreement that provides for "open skies" between the two countries, and a U.S.-Jordan treaty for the protection and encouragement of bilateral investment entered into force in 2003. Jordan has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 2000.

Jordan is classified by the World Bank as a "lower middle income country." The per capita GDP was approximately $1,817 (€1,479) for 2003 and 14.5% of the economically active population, on average, was unemployed in 2003. Education and literacy rates and measures of social well-being are relatively high compared to other countries with similar incomes. Jordan's population growth rate is high, but has declined in recent years, to approximately 2.8% currently. One of the most important factors in the government’s efforts to improve the well-being of its citizens is the macroeconomic stability that has been achieved since the 1990s. Rates of price inflation are low, at 2.3% in 2003, and the currency has been stable with an exchange rate fixed to the U.S. dollar since 1995.

While pursuing economic reform and increased trade, Jordan's economy will continue to be vulnerable to external shocks and regional unrest. Without calm in the region, economic growth seems destined to stay below its potential.

Foreign relations

Jordan has consistently followed a pro-Western foreign policy and traditionally has had close relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. These relations were damaged by Jordan's neutrality and maintaining relations with Iraq during the Kuwait war. Although the Government of Jordan stated its opposition to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, popular support for Iraq was driven by Jordan's Palestinian community, which favored Saddam as a champion against Western supporters of Israel.

Following the first Gulf war, Jordan largely restored its relations with Western countries through its participation in the Middle East peace process and enforcement of UN sanctions against Iraq. Relations between Jordan and the Gulf countries improved substantially after King Hussein's death. Following the fall of the Iraqi regime, Jordan has played a pivotal role in supporting the restoration of stability and security to Iraq. The Government of Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to facilitate the training of up to 30,000 Iraqi police cadets at a Jordanian facility.

Jordan signed a nonbelligerency agreement with Israel (the Washington Declaration) in Washington, DC, on 25 July 1994. Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace treaty on 26 October 1994, witnessed by President Bill Clinton, accompanied by Secretary Warren Christopher. The U.S. has participated with Jordan and Israel in trilateral development discussions in which key issues have been water-sharing and security; cooperation on Jordan Rift Valley development; infrastructure projects; and trade, finance, and banking issues. Jordan also participates in the multilateral peace talks. Jordan belongs to the UN and several of its specialized and related agencies, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and World Health Organization (WHO). Jordan also is a member of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Nonaligned Movement (NAM), and Arab League.

Since the outbreak of the Intifadah in September 2000, Jordan has worked hard, in a variety of fora, to maintain lines of communication between the Israelis and the Palestinians to counsel moderation and to return the parties to negotiations of outstanding permanent status issues.

Following the intifadah, though, Jordan along with Egypt withdrew its ambassadors from Israel. Following the Sharm-al-Sheik Summit in Egypt on 8 February 2005, both countries announced plans to return ambassadors to the country.

Demographics of Jordan

Jordanians are Semitic Levantines , except for a few small communities of Chechens, Circassians, Armenians, and Kurds which have adapted to Arabic culture. The official language is Arabic, but English is used widely in commerce and government. About 70% of Jordan's population is urban; less than 6% of the rural population is nomadic or semi-nomadic. Most people live where the rainfall supports agriculture. About 2.6 million persons registered as Palestinian refugees and displaced persons reside in Jordan, most as citizens.

Source : Wikipedia