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Jordan: IFC to Develop Key Facilities at King Hussein Bridge Crossing

Jordan: IFC to Develop Key Facilities at King Hussein Bridge Crossing
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Jordan: IFC to Develop Key Facilities at King Hussein Bridge Crossing

Jordan: IFC to Develop Key Facilities at King Hussein Bridge Crossing

Jordan’s Ministry of Public Works has singed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to help improve trade and passenger flow between Jordan and Palestinian territories by expanding and refurbishing facilities of the King Hussein Bridge crossing terminal.

Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh said Thursday that the project aims to facilitate the movement of goods and travelers between Jordan and Palestine.

IFC said in a statement that the agreement aims at engaging the private sector in constructing and operating new facilities at the terminal, currently the only crossing point for West Bank residents to travel abroad.

Existing facilities at the crossing terminal are straining to cope with increased traffic and cargo, with 97,000 cargo trucks and 2.2 million people traveling through the crossing in 2016, the statement said.

The IFC team will conduct a legal, technical, commercial, environmental and social review of the project to help develop a robust public-private partnership (PPP) transaction structure and appropriate risk allocation for the public and private sectors, it added.

The proposed new terminal is expected to have "state-of-the-art" truck and passenger handling facilities, including modern cargo and luggage scanning, multi-traffic lane entry and exit points with electric gates and check booths, a duty-free facility, and a medical emergency center. 

“IFC has significant experience in structuring complex PPPs around the world and we are delighted to bring our expertise to this key project,” said Emmanuel Nyirinkindi, global head of PPP Advisory from IFC in the statement.

“The new facility will help improve passengers’ experiences and also boost the flow of trade between the West Bank and Jordan,” he added.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.