On Wednesday, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah paid a visit to Al Shobak in Ma'an Governorate, where she met with leaders of local organizations, owners of income-generating initiatives, and local officials.

Her Majesty's visit follows the launch of a community-based funding initiative in Ma'an Governorate. The initiative, which is supported by the Royal Hashemite Court, allows citizens to start their own income-generating ventures.

Speaking to a group of award recipients at Shobak Castle's tourist center, Her Majesty expressed her delight at being able to meet with them, despite the COVID-19 epidemic frequently making such trips difficult.

She also encouraged the group to get the vaccination in order to safeguard their family against the virus and its variations.

Queen Rania praised the recipients' commitment and expressed her delight at hearing about the progress of their initiatives and their rising success. She also emphasized the good example of a local lady, Sabha Al Tawara, who operates a modest sewing business in Al Shobak and whom Her Majesty had met earlier in the day.

Al Tawara's tailoring shop, a recipient of the community-based grant scheme, was one of 100 income-generating projects across the kingdom to receive an increase in financial assistance last year, as announced by Her Majesty in October 2020 in response to the pandemic's crippling effects on small businesses.

“Ms. Sabha has gone on to develop four more job possibilities, empowering additional women in her area,” said the Queen.

Ma'an Governor Dr. Mohammad Fayez, Ma'an Tourism Director Dr. Yasin Salah, Al Shobak Societies Coalition Head Khalil Hawartha, and Visitors Center Supervisor Mohammad Hleilat greeted Her Majesty at Shobak Castle. 

During the meeting, she was briefed on the development of the scheme's income-generating projects by Community Centers Association (CCA) President Dr. Firyal Saleh.

To far, the plan, which was implemented by the CCA in collaboration with 11 local organizations, has offered loans and business advice to 220 families in Ma'an, supporting commercial, service sector, vocational, and agricultural initiatives in the governorate.

In turn, Queen Rania emphasized the critical role of local organizations and associations in meeting the needs and problems of their communities. “We look to you to understand how to best focus our assistance,” Her Majesty stated, adding that “at the end of the day, we're all one family, and we want every lady, man, and kid in the community to be well.”

Her Majesty also advised people in attendance to safeguard themselves and their families by receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, emphasizing that immunization is the only way to ensure economic recovery and a return to normalcy.

Queen Rania stated that she and His Majesty King Abdullah were glad for receiving the vaccination early in the epidemic in order to protect themselves and others around them. She also warned against the propagation of disinformation about the vaccination, especially if more infectious COVID variations develop throughout the world.

“We must all urge each other to get the vaccination — for our children, our parents, and our families,” she said.

Her Majesty also paid a visit to the Al Shobak Charitable Society for Women, which strives to empower local women by developing their skills and giving them with economic possibilities. The Queen inspected the society's facilities, accompanied by Society President Basma Habahbeh, inspecting its productive kitchen and interacting with its beneficiaries.

The Al Shobak Philanthropic Society for Women, founded in 2009, runs a variety of economic and charitable initiatives, including the utilization of homegrown Al Shobak apples in the manufacturing of apple cider vinegar.

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She is wearing her Jennifer Chamandi Green Lorenzo 105 Snake Suede Pumps, Roberto Coin Symphony bracelet with diamonds in 18kt rose and white gold