Visitors to the Ajloun Forest Reserve, the country's largest nature sanctuary, will have the opportunity to have their names and favourite phrases finely written in Arabic on pieces of leather, cloth or silk at the new Calligraphy Centre.
The Calligraphy Centre, painted green to match the lush surrounding hills, is expected to open its doors to tourists and customers in the next two months, constituting yet another ecoventure to generate job opportunities for the residents of Ajloun, a poverty-stricken governorate.
The centre is situated in the small town of Orjan, a 30 minute walk from the reserve visitor centre, and is operated by Wild Jordan, the marketing branch of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).
"The building and its facilities are almost complete and the staff is currently receiving intensive training in Arabic calligraphy," Ajloun Forest Reserve Director Nasser Absi said on Thursday.
He made the remark during a tour organised by the Ministry of Environment and the American embassy to the Ajloun Nature Reserve yesterday.
Minister of Environment Khalid Irani and US Ambassador in Amman Robert Stephen Beecroft checked on the progress of projects supported by Wild Jordan at the reserve, including the Calligraphy Centre and the Soap House.
During the tour of the Centre, Beecroft urged Wild Jordan officials to speed up work in order to open the centre in time to benefit from the current tourist season, noting that "time is money."
A few metres down the road from the Calligraphy Centre, the officials toured a building surrounded by a small farm planted with aromatic herbs and trees which manufactures all-natural handmade olive oil soaps.
A venture that started three years ago with modest earnings, the Ajloun Soap House has now grown to become a major revenue generator, supporting the RSCN's various environment preservation initiatives.
Ranging from antioxidant-rich pomegranate soaps to mint soaps with toning properties, each soap bar costs between JD2-3, depending on size and weight.
The house also sells jarred green olives and other products manufactured by women in Orjan.
"As we explore new ideas and add new scents to the soap bars, business at the Soap House is actually booming. Last year, the shop generated around JD18,000 and we are expecting to do better this year as we have already made around JD12,000," Soap House Director Rima Hamzat told The Jordan Times yesterday.
In the meantime, Wild Jordan Director Chris Johnson briefed Irani and the ambassador on plans for the Rangers Academy, for which His Majesty King Abdullah laid the cornerstone in early June.
The academy will be established over a quarry near the reserve to train around 100-150 students annually on ecotourism and ecosystem preservation.
The JD3.5 million academy, which will be built on a 2,500-square-metre area, is expected to be completed in early 2010 and will train Jordanians and students from other countries on issues of ecological conservation and ecotourism services.
Johnson said a branch of the Wild Jordan Café and a kids zone among other environment-friendly facilities will also be established at the location of the academy to further encourage domestic tourism to Ajloun.
His Majesty King Abdullah announced last month the establishment of the Ajloun Special Development Zone, which officials said is expected to attract billions of dollars worth of investments and create thousands of jobs over the next 15 years.
The development zone includes 24 proposed tourism projects, including a 2,000-dunum tourism city that will comprise 900 hotel rooms, restaurants and other entertainment facilities.
Irani told reporters yesterday that all tourist facilities and projects to be built as part of the development zone will take environmental considerations into account as well as incorporate the unique characteristics of Ajloun Governorate.
"Industries will be allowed as long as they are environment friendly and in accordance with our standards," Irani told The Jordan Times.
Meanwhile, in remarks to the press, Beecroft commended the government's focus on environmental issues and the establishment of the Rangers Academy.
"The United States is proud to partner with Jordan to improve the lives of its citizens through sustainable environmental policies, the protection of natural resources, economic growth and strengthened institutions involved in environmental law enforcement," the ambassador said.
USAID Mission Director Jay Knott and RSCN Director Yahya Khalid were also present on the tour
© Jordan Times 2009
