Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00What prizes are waiting for you, and surely none of you will lose.
00:00:04Cooking is not just food, cooking
00:00:34it really introduces the world
00:01:05the crop and lead to
00:01:12the details. In
00:01:33tourism, especially for this
00:01:34it does, I mean, it maintains one par excellence, with full preparations for the winter
00:01:37season. And today, with us is our guest. We will talk about
00:01:41the preparations for the winter
00:01:43we start at are cold, the body must maintain news. In season for the land and the agricultural season, and the importance of the agricultural season. The agricultural
00:01:47season, excuse me, in
00:01:49the plant can benefit from winter, and how much, honestly, rainfall can
00:01:52affect us. These small details
00:01:56can make a difference in having a good crop.
00:02:07to convey to the world about this A really important crop, and we in Jordan always rely on agriculture
00:02:10and farmers. We will talk more about this topic. Engineer Ahmed Bani Hassan, head of the Naour Agriculture Department, will be with us. Welcome, and good morning.
00:02:29and we all know that farmers have preparations before the winter
00:02:32season. There are tasks they need to do to preserve their
00:02:35agricultural crops. What are the most prominent of these tasks? Yes,
00:02:39the farmer
00:02:41calories? Of course, I mean, I am one awaits this season eagerly, meaning, truly, and with longing, because
00:02:45which is our side in he wants
00:02:48I am craving this rain. You know, water is the artery of life. Indeed, we
00:02:53these meals? Well, this frost waves, and this affects in Jordan, praise be to God, God has blessed us with diverse terrain. You have the Ghor,
00:02:58promotion. Now we need to manage this the mountainous areas, and the semi-mountainous areas. Yes. So the farmer first
00:03:00cleans the land
00:03:03the importance of this from the remnants of summer crops, seeds,
00:03:07roots, and harmful weeds. Then he
00:03:10plows the land deeply to aerate it and improve
00:03:14the physical properties of the soil, because it is the medium where
00:03:18the new crop will be planted.
00:03:21So he wants to prepare this land to receive this
00:03:25it affects plastic greenhouses, rainy season so that On the Prophet, he can benefit from it as much as possible. Indeed.
00:03:28Beautiful. So, what are the most important crops that we can
00:03:31plant in this season to get a beautiful yield, especially
00:03:35since we know that vegetables and fruits are seasonal, some
00:03:39are summer, some are winter? What are the most important crops for winter?
00:03:42We look for crops that
00:03:45are resistant to cold. Of course, you have
00:03:48leafy crops like spinach,
00:03:51arugula, and lettuce. These are crops that farmers
00:03:55plant in winter, and honestly, with winter foods, it's another world.
00:03:58You have
00:04:00Then we can take them to carrots, radishes, onions,
00:04:03and garlic. These are also crops that the farmer
00:04:05plants because, honestly, he tries
00:04:11increase our appetite, especially to benefit from this rainy season during these periods. Yes, beautiful. So,
00:04:13you also have protected
00:04:16come. What's left of that amount cultivation. Strawberries are planted in plastic greenhouses
00:04:19during this period. Beautiful. Engineer, you talked about winter
00:04:22crops. Well, we'd like
00:04:25On the Prophet, to know, when you prepare this
00:04:27pray to the Prophet, soil, what tasks do you perform? What do you mean by soil
00:04:30preparation? Look, the soil now
00:04:34is the medium where plants are planted. Right? Now,
00:04:37you need to turn the soil,
00:04:41tourism map, because this aerate it, improve its physical properties, add fertilizer,
00:04:44pesticides. Yes, you add
00:04:46really want it, but it's because organic fertilizers because with rainwater, these fertilizers
00:04:49decompose. Now, the plant doesn't absorb elements, it absorbs
00:04:52them as ions. Yes.
00:04:55assistance. So, let's talk about this cooperation So, the fertilizer now needs to decompose in the soil and become free
00:04:58ions that the root can absorb and transport to the plant's parts
00:05:02to produce the necessary food for the plant and strengthen the tree and benefit
00:05:05from its fruits. So, now the rainy season
00:05:09helps the plant to
00:05:12absorb the elements in the correct way. The farmer adds
00:05:15organic fertilizers, plows the soil deeply,
00:05:19turns the soil. Soil sterilization must all
00:05:22be done before winter. Before
00:05:26diseases, fungi, bacteria, and pests
00:05:28that
00:05:31might be present in it. Beautiful. So, engineer, today,
00:05:34how do the amount of rain and the timing of the rain
00:05:38affect the agricultural crop, its success, and that it will hopefully be
00:05:42good? Yes, now
00:05:46the plant is like a human being. It goes through stages.
00:05:49Uh-huh. From its planting, flowering,
00:05:53fruiting, and then harvesting the fruits.
00:05:57It goes through all these stages. Now, the rainy season.
00:06:00And all of this doesn't happen without rain. Of course, rain
00:06:04helps the root to anchor itself
00:06:07in the soil, to search for the soil, its activity, and the transfer of water
00:06:11to all parts of the soil. Uh. You,
00:06:14when the rainy season comes at the right
00:06:17time, also the addition of field crops, wheat and barley,
00:06:21and fodder crops, alfalfa and fodder corn.
00:06:24So when the rains come, they revive the land. Uh-huh.
00:06:28The plant absorbs it, there is moisture in the soil,
00:06:31through which the plant can grow. There is quality and size,
00:06:35and you get an abundant and rich crop, thank God. Especially
00:06:39since the weather is changing. So, in one month, the rain
00:06:43might be abundant, thank God, but the next month, it might not be at the same
00:06:46level. So, how do you deal with
00:06:49irrigation methods for agricultural crops
00:06:52from other sources besides rainwater? I mean, look,
00:06:56now the farmer must be aware of the entire
00:06:59season he is in, from preparing the agricultural
00:07:03pond, collecting wells,
00:07:05earthen dams, of course, or
00:07:09earthen excavations. He prepares himself. The farmer
00:07:12prepares for the rain so that he can benefit from it and collect
00:07:16as much as possible from it through the agricultural pond to have an additional
00:07:20water reserve, for sure, because after the winter
00:07:23season, another season will come when there is no
00:07:26water. He will have used the rainwater that is coming now.
00:07:29When rain falls in
00:07:33appropriate quantities and at intervals, the crops
00:07:36benefit from it more. I mean, very heavy
00:07:39water can sometimes harm the crops.
00:07:42Uh-huh. Well, also, since we're talking
00:07:46about this topic, what are the most prominent challenges that farmers face
00:07:49today, especially in winter, given that there is a lot of rain
00:07:53and that there might also be frost,
00:07:56and thunder? Yes, look, now in winter,
00:08:00there are
00:08:04the plant naturally,
00:08:05affecting
00:08:08the plant tissues and causing them to explode and damage
00:08:21his product because his crop is ruined,
00:08:25you know? Not only cold and frost, but also wind.
00:08:28Yes, now regarding wind, it can uproot
00:08:32seedlings if the crops are exposed. In protected cultivation,
00:08:37arches, and plastic covers. That's why
00:08:41the farmer must pay attention to these waves and
00:08:44be prepared for them before they happen. Honestly, engineer, we are not worried
00:08:47about you, and the farmers, thank God, have enough awareness
00:08:51to preserve agricultural crops
00:08:54and winter crop types. But there are people who like to plant, for example,
00:08:58in their home gardens, some winter crops. What would you like to tell
00:09:02them? What advice would you give them, and how
00:09:05can they start in the home garden? Yes, I mean, in the home garden,
00:09:09one can plant leafy greens
00:09:12like mint, marjoram,
00:09:14arugula,
00:09:16thyme, for example, or even vegetables.
00:09:19Oh, I mean
00:09:22simple things. Now he can plant them
00:09:25in pots or containers, as we call them,
00:09:29so that, for example, when a cold snap comes, he can move them to a safe place,
00:09:32a place where they will not be exposed to frost. In the periods
00:09:36of winter when there are no clouds and no rain, there is
00:09:39sun, so they should be exposed to get as much sun as possible.
00:09:43Also, using compost or sand so
00:09:47that when heavy rain comes, it does not lead to a large amount of water
00:09:50flowing in it and rotting the roots and killing them. Yes.
00:09:54Beautiful. So, let's talk about the partnership between you
00:09:57and the Ministry of Agriculture, and its importance, and how much
00:10:01cooperation there is between you, and also, honestly, when anything happens,
00:10:04the Ministry provides
00:10:08and partnership between you.
00:10:10Uh. Yes, I mean, I won't go
00:10:14into too much detail about this, honestly, but
00:10:17our tasks as agriculture directorates
00:10:21are to provide
00:10:25to farmers through field visits
00:10:27so that the farmer takes precautions and is careful before
00:10:30the occurrence of deep weather depressions or
00:10:33frost waves, and how to deal with them.
00:10:37Beautiful. So, what are the most prominent mistakes that farmers might
00:10:40make during winter in their preparation
00:10:43for agricultural crops?
00:10:46Sometimes some farmers do not consider the nature of the area
00:10:50they are in, for example,
00:10:53floods and valleys.
00:10:55And there are sometimes expected heavy rains,
00:10:59and they haven't taken precautions for them,
00:11:02which I might tell you about a little later, how
00:11:06to deal with them, how the farmer, for example, can make channels to drain
00:11:10excess water if heavy amounts of water come, because
00:11:14ultimately, this soil will form a flood
00:11:18of water. You need to get rid of this excess water.
00:11:21Make channels with a slope in the land to a certain
00:11:25point and get rid of it so that it does not submerge
00:11:30the roots rotting and the crop being lost
00:11:33to the farmer. Uh, yes, yes. How much
00:11:37do farmers resort to technology and artificial intelligence and drones recently
00:11:40in detecting diseases that might affect some trees
00:11:44or even modern irrigation methods that save
00:11:47us water? Yes, I mean, now most farmers use modern irrigation
00:11:51methods, which are drip irrigation or the use
00:11:54of sensors that measure the moisture indicator in the soil, so that
00:11:57there is a certain limit for moisture,
00:12:01a certain limit, when it reaches this degree, it gives you
00:12:05a signal that we need to irrigate so that the moisture level returns to
00:12:09the level we want it to be, and
00:12:14the moisture in the soil
00:12:18from the water and the elements in the soil. We actually
00:12:22mean, when the area
00:12:26of the soil that is the root system is moist, we
00:12:30are providing the elements also to the
00:12:33plant so that the plant grows and gives us
00:12:36a yield. The farmer wants a yield,
00:12:39he wants to market his
00:13:06Why does our appetite for food increase in winter, and how can we enjoy
00:13:10seasonal dishes and favorite foods while at the same time maintaining
00:13:14our health and weight? Diana Nawasreh, nutritionist.
00:13:17Our sweet Jordan,
00:16:09of the episode, do you feel that in winter, we need more
00:16:12calories? Of course, since our guest is a nutritionist
00:16:15in this segment, we will ask about
00:16:19the topic of calories and weight gain, and why
00:16:22our appetite increases during winter. We will ask all
00:16:26these details with the nutritionist Diana
00:16:29Nawasreh. Welcome and thank you for being with us on a new day. First, I would like
00:16:46morning to you, and we are happy that you are with us today,
00:16:49and the topic of our episode fits with your presence
00:16:53with us. Why does our appetite tend to increase in winter,
00:16:56and is the cold weather actually related to it? Well, first of all,
00:16:59the appetite definitely increases in winter, and the cold is very
00:17:03much related to the increased appetite. Great. Now, let me explain
00:17:06how the system works in the body. First, please.
00:17:10Now, when we are exposed to cold in winter,
00:17:13it is very cold, and our body wants to maintain the temperature that we
00:17:17are used to. Now, when we
00:17:20its temperature, so what happens is it starts to burn more. When
00:17:24there is more burning, we need more energy,
00:17:27exactly, more food, a bigger appetite,
00:17:31so we get hungrier. So that's the thing, but there are other
00:17:35factors that affect us, such as less exposure
00:17:38to the sun. Now, in winter, there isn't much sun, and we are not exposed
00:17:42to a lot of sunlight, so what happens here is that
00:17:45the serotonin hormone
00:17:49hormone decreases, this hormone is responsible for hunger
00:17:52and satiety and mood. It tells it that the body starts
00:17:55to crave this hormone, so how does it crave it? It craves it by wanting more
00:17:59food, and of course, it tends to sweets
00:18:02hormone, because 90% of it is formed in the intestines,
00:18:06that's why it starts craving delicious foods more to
00:18:09compensate for the deficiency that has occurred in it, and many people forget to drink water
00:18:13and resort to eating traditional sweets
00:18:17or even sweets
00:18:19that are full of calories. So, how do I link that
00:18:25because I am cold, or because I am hungry and have free time, so I want
00:18:31is something we need to be aware of. We need to differentiate between true
00:18:35hunger and the hunger that we feel due to boredom. So, we
00:18:47what do we need to do? We really need to organize our meals
00:18:51throughout the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner. We should divide our meals,
00:18:54and our meals should be high in protein, a healthy meal with healthy
00:18:58fats, high fiber, meaning a complete
00:19:02and balanced meal of all types of food. This helps us
00:19:05eat our basic needs. When we eat them,
00:19:08we become full, and then we can tell if we are really hungry.
00:19:12If we are hungry, we can eat anything.
00:19:16But after this meal, no matter what
00:19:19we eat, we won't eat the large amount that we would if we skipped these meals.
00:19:23Anyone who is hungry and hasn't eaten since morning, having skipped all these meals, if you put
00:19:27anything in front of them, they are willing to eat it, even if it's sweet and a large amount,
00:19:31that's wrong. Well, it's true that when
00:19:34we divide our meals, the matter can change. This is where
00:19:38it becomes clear whether we are truly hungry or whether we are hungry
00:19:41because we are bored or for other reasons. So why do
00:19:44rich foods and sweets
00:19:48in cold weather? I mean, it's possible that the weather isn't very cold, and we're actually
00:19:52sitting, but we don't crave food or sweets much. But especially when the weather
00:19:56is cold, we tend towards rich foods and sweets. I mean, this is natural,
00:19:59as I told you in the first point. Now, our exposure
00:20:02to the sun decreases, so our serotonin
00:20:06hormone in the body decreases, so when it decreases, the body
00:20:09immediately craves it. The body needs to have this. This controls hunger, satiety,
00:20:13and mood, so it immediately makes us crave sweets,
00:20:17rich foods. We crave something,
00:20:20but we don't
00:20:23this hormone, these foods, and the hormone are responsible for many
00:20:26things, exactly, hunger and satiety. Of course, Diana, we can't
00:20:30miss the opportunity of your presence, so we want to ask you about meals and foods
00:20:34that we crave in winter. Of course, I mean,
00:20:37the famous dish, lentil soup. We want to know how much it makes us gain weight,
00:20:41it can affect us,
00:20:43Reshoof, traditional sweets. Tell us
00:20:47more about meals that actually increase calories
00:20:50and can lead to weight gain. Well, honestly, there are no specific
00:20:54meals that we can say are high in calories
00:20:58or, I mean, high in calories, so they are
00:21:00the cause of our weight gain. There is no such thing. No matter
00:21:04how much sugar it has, no matter how much it has, I mean, now Reshoof and lentils
00:21:08are actually healthy, not too much like that. Besides, they are traditional foods,
00:21:11I mean, they are well-known and it is important that they are available.
00:21:15Lentils are an important source of plant
00:21:18protein and give us fiber and satiety for a longer period. On the contrary,
00:21:22it is very good to have them, but the problem is that we control
00:21:25the quantities. When we want to eat from it, it's fine, but for example, add
00:21:29vegetables with it, add a salad with it, add a high protein
00:21:32side dish so that we feel full for a longer period. I mean, eat it,
00:21:35but don't eat a large quantity. Exactly, these
00:21:39details are important. Exactly, truly winter details. Please,
00:21:42continue. Exactly. Now, there's another thing: when we
00:21:46have chestnuts, sweet potatoes, there are many
00:21:49things that are winter essentials, and I certainly don't deprive you of them, and on the contrary,
00:21:53it's very important for us to eat from them, but exactly, it's
00:21:55the specific quantities. And of course, as I told you, there is no specific meal
00:21:59that determines our calories or, for example, that this meal will
00:22:02make us gain weight. I mean, for example, if we
00:22:05eat this thing, it will make us gain weight. It's the quantity
00:22:08that makes the difference for us. So, Diana, what
00:22:11are the meals and foods that you recommend to us today
00:22:14so that we feel full and we are eating healthy food,
00:22:18roughly, and it lasts longer? Because we know that
00:22:22the night is long, and evening gatherings are always a problem. These foods,
00:22:25their timing also. I mean, in summer, we stop eating at eight or nine,
00:22:29but in winter,
00:22:33eight or nine, exactly. So what can you tell
00:22:36us about this? Well, as I told you, the most important thing is that we divide
00:22:39our meals. We focus that every meal should have
00:22:43protein. What kind of protein? Meat, chicken,
00:22:45fish, tuna, eggs. These things, we add high
00:22:49fiber with them, whole grains, like
00:22:52lentils, oats, healthy things that give us
00:22:55satiety for a longer period. Sweet potatoes are very important from complex carbohydrates.
00:22:59Also very excellent. Sweet potatoes are considered a healthy
00:23:02thing too, right? Exactly, they are very useful. We can also add them, add
00:23:06vegetables, fiber, vitamins with them, meaning a complete meal that gives us all
00:23:10our needs, so that when we eat them, we will
00:23:14stay full for a longer period. If we get hungry after that, we know that this hunger is truly
00:23:17real, not just
00:23:20for our mood and psychology and so on, or we are sitting
00:23:23up late. So, Diana, tell us, do you feel that winter affects
00:23:27you? Do you need more
00:23:31of the people who get hungry in winter. Now, everyone's
00:23:34metabolism increases in winter,
00:23:38so their metabolism increases by approximately 150 to 300
00:23:41calories, but it varies depending on the person, their body,
00:23:44their physical activity.
00:23:48And in winter, we all know that the night is long, most of us
00:23:52are sitting, so there are certain activities that we can also do
00:23:55to burn calories. Now, this physical
00:23:59activity is very important. Any movement we make during
00:24:02our day is better than no movement. For example, if we take
00:24:06the stairs instead of the elevator, that is considered movement. If we move
00:24:09around the house after a meal instead of sitting down immediately, that is also very
00:24:13good movement. Any effort we can make is very good. Notice how hungry
00:24:17we are after the gym, and we want to eat the meal quickly.
00:24:43sweets, those light snacks. How do we control
00:24:46them? I have nibbling, you know what I
00:24:49do? Yes, I don't bring them. I try to bring very
00:24:52small amounts so that if they are in front of
00:24:56me, I have no control, so I always try little by little. So maybe
00:24:59Diana will give us... Diana, honestly, I have
00:25:03a small tip that I always do for my family when they are all gathered
00:25:06and so on. I always make them
00:25:09a little. No, seriously, I put quantities, but the
00:25:13problem is that I mix healthy and unhealthy things. I mean, I put, for example,
00:25:16fruits, healthy fats, I put chips, I put chocolate.
00:25:20It's fine, but I also put healthy things. I mean, for example, instead of
00:25:23eating only chips, no, there are chips, there are vegetables,
00:25:26labneh next to it, thyme, so they can eat with
00:25:29it. Exactly, it fills them up more, meaning they stop taking from that
00:25:33quantity. But this is after dinner, the cold things,
00:25:37we go for carrots, cucumbers, vegetables. We go
00:25:40for things with oil, things
00:25:44like that. But if you convince your mind and actually take this step, it will make a huge difference to you. You see everything,
00:25:48so you will inevitably want to eat.
00:25:52The eye loves diversity. Even if the body doesn't crave it,
00:25:56there will be curiosity. If you see something in front of you, you will want to eat it. So
00:25:59this makes a big difference. True. May God protect them.
00:26:17wherever there are high calories, they put them. That's why I tell
00:26:19you to mix healthy and unhealthy things at the same time. True. So
00:26:23if we ask you for a final piece of advice to give to
00:26:26the viewers today, so that they can truly
00:26:30balance their meals to be healthy, and even if there is magic or late-night
00:26:33gatherings, the night is long, one
00:26:36exactly, exactly. Now, if there is one piece of advice I want to give you, first
00:26:40of all, organize your meals. Eat more than one meal throughout
00:26:43the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Meals high in protein. Eat
00:26:46your needs of vitamins and minerals, everything. I mean, divide
00:26:50your meals and eat them. If you need to, definitely don't deprive
00:26:52yourselves. Eat too. I am not against deprivation
00:26:56at all. You can eat, but after the meal, don't start your day with something
00:27:00sweet. Always make it after the meal. You will eat
00:27:03less when you eat without a meal. You will eat a lot, so this makes
00:27:07a big difference to us. Water is also necessary
00:27:10for you to drink water. Of course, many people, honestly, forget
00:27:14about water, and it reduces it, and it's possible that hunger
00:27:18is due to your lack of water intake. It's possible that's the case. No,
00:27:21our brain doesn't differentiate between hunger and thirst, so now it might tell
00:27:25you that you are hungry, but you are not hungry, you are thirsty, so if you go and drink
00:27:28water, you will feel full. And if we don't drink water, we will gain
00:27:33weight. Of course, now water, I mean, it burns,
00:27:37the processes in the body, and these things. So it's very good for you to drink
00:27:40water, I mean, maintain it. Keep it in front of you. As long as it's
00:27:43in front of you, you will keep
00:28:00the break: Al-Maqtas from the heart of the Holy
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00:28:06and what message do we want
00:28:09site that holds exceptional religious and historical significance?
00:28:13Rola Samaan, a Jordanian journalist,
00:28:16writer, and author.
00:28:33A new generation arose, led by His Royal Highness the Crown
00:28:37Prince, holding the same compass. This
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00:28:48project that embodies the values of Jordanians
00:28:51across the nation.
00:28:52Volunteers,
00:28:58male and female, whose actions
00:29:01matched their words, and whose giving preceded
00:29:04their promises. What you do is not a service rendered,
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00:30:47History, adventure, and nature, all of them
00:30:49in Ajloun.
00:30:53Live
00:30:54Jordan.
00:31:02Modern laboratories for soil, water,
00:31:06and plant analysis.
00:31:11Modern and advanced agricultural systems.
00:31:16The most important agricultural seasons for vegetables
00:31:19and fruits.
00:31:28Challenges facing the agricultural sector in Jordan and the most important
00:31:32solutions.
00:31:34The livestock sector and improved
00:31:37breeds.
00:31:42In the show "Land of Goodness".
00:32:16A close look with accuracy
00:32:19and objectivity, where we clarify the picture
00:32:23and reveal
00:32:27The Eighth
00:32:31we monitor, follow, and analyze in depth
00:32:39The Eighth, a tour of the most prominent regional and international
00:32:42events, moment by moment.
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00:33:49Good morning, and welcome again. We continue with you
00:33:53with your program "A New Day". And moving on to our last
00:33:56guests for today, there are places on this earth
00:34:00whose importance transcends geographical boundaries
00:34:03and carry within them many details, meaning faith, history,
00:34:07and humanity. And Al-Maghtas today is one of these places.
00:34:11Indeed, the site that is associated with the baptism of Christ,
00:34:14and with the Jubilee of Baptism,
00:34:18site is renewed and our responsibility
00:34:22to introduce it grows, not just as a religious
00:34:25site, but as part of Jordan's message
00:34:28of civilization, humanity, and a message of peace and love
00:34:32that reaches, pardon me, the whole world. To talk about
00:34:36the importance of Al-Maghtas, we are pleased to host the journalist
00:34:39and writer, Dr.
00:34:50about Al-Maghtas and this unique
00:34:52place and its religious and historical reputation worldwide.
00:34:56What distinguishes Al-Maghtas the most?
00:34:59Al-Maghtas is the place where Christ was baptized
00:35:03by John the Baptist almost 2000 years ago. Yes.
00:35:06And it is, for the Christian world, the beginning,
00:35:10the beginning of Christ in his mission or in preaching
00:35:13love, peace, and salvation.
00:35:15So, on one hand, it is a very important site for the Christian
00:35:19world. If we consider that there are 2.6
00:35:22billion Christian people around the world, let's say we deduct, for example,
00:35:26children, young and old, who cannot
00:35:31of people? Take a tenth of it. So, this is our goal
00:35:35in promoting this this celebration
00:35:38and talking about it and preparing for it
00:35:42to invest in attracting tourism, Christian pilgrimage
00:35:45or religious tourism to Jordan. On the other hand,
00:35:49Jordan will now be in
00:35:52the middle of the world's
00:35:56event, how often does it happen in life,
00:35:58in humanity? I mean, it's a one-time thing.
00:36:02Honestly, it's true. So, 2000 years, or the 2000th anniversary of the baptism
00:36:05of Christ, carries with it a religious
00:36:08character, religious, touristic, and
00:36:12on the other hand, it is a Jordanian national
00:36:15project par excellence, because the baptism took place on the east bank of the Jordan
00:36:19River, "Bethany Beyond the Jordan," meaning in Jordan. And the start
00:36:22of the good news or the message was from us, from Jordan. So, without a doubt,
00:36:26this celebration is national, Jordanian. That's why we are
00:36:29preparing for it diligently. Now the government is serious,
00:36:33and because it's something we are proud of, honestly. Of course,
00:36:36of course. So, Doctor, today, with the Jubilee of Baptism, what is
00:36:40the importance of this for Jordan, and how much, if we want to talk
00:36:44about it, I mean, if we want to turn it or move it away a bit from the religious aspect, how much
00:36:48is it an opportunity, honestly, to introduce the world to Jordan? And as you said, you are
00:36:51talking about a very large number, and it also coincides
00:36:54with the fact that this event will not happen much in the coming years,
00:36:58God knows, honestly, but
00:37:01to Jordan, its geographical location, its importance, its religious
00:37:05and tourist sites in general. We all know that tourism is
00:37:09not a neutral or secondary sector. It is a very important
00:37:12sector, the supportive arm of the economy and tourism, right?
00:37:16Investment and the economy, and the economy, of course.
00:37:19What if it's religious tourism? What if it's religious
00:37:22tourism? We are talking now about the local community and how tourism
00:37:25and these preparations will reflect
00:37:28on Jordan and on the local community in particular. I mean, we are moving hotels,
00:37:32restaurants, tour guides, and those who sell vegetables, and those who sell bread,
00:37:35and those who make souvenirs, etc., etc. So, its positive
00:37:39impact on the local community is great. This is from one perspective. From
00:37:43another perspective, Jordan is an attractive environment
00:37:45for investment for foreigners and for
00:37:49locals. And we are open economically to the world.
00:37:52Meaning, His Majesty's efforts to attract
00:37:55investment and His Royal Highness
00:37:57Prince Al Hussein's efforts in promoting
00:38:00site, are very great efforts. So, tourism must
00:38:04be the arm for attracting investment,
00:38:08of course, for attracting international investments. And this is what we are looking
00:38:11at, in addition to its importance, of course, religiously, because we always say
00:38:15that a very large part of tourism, and we have comprehensive tourism, we have all types of tourism,
00:38:18and part of it is indeed part
00:38:22of it is Christian pilgrimage and Islamic pilgrimage. So, now
00:38:26our focus is, because we are close to the date of the millennium
00:38:29anniversary, the 2000th anniversary of the baptism
00:38:32of Christ, so we are talking about Christian pilgrimage more now.
00:38:36So, Doctor, as citizens,
00:38:39place, I mean, Al-Maghtas. Every one of us knows
00:38:43how special it is with its features. Do you think
00:38:46the world has received this image? Does it know the details
00:38:49of the place, religiously or historically? And how much
00:38:52responsibility do we have as media professionals, journalists, writers, to really
00:38:56promote this place and write about its details?
00:39:00That's a great question. The truth is that, yes, the site is very
00:39:03important, historically documented, and religiously
00:39:06documented in the Bible. The Bible mentions "beyond the Jordan River,"
00:39:12Jordan. And historically, the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism
00:39:15and the Authority over the past years
00:39:18have been very great in promoting
00:39:22its importance. We are talking about
00:39:25promotion. We have promoted it very well. It has reached. So, now we must manage
00:39:29it in a different way, because this event is very
00:39:32different. The promotion that was done for it is truly accurate.
00:39:35Its management, in return, is that we, through the promotion that was done for it, have
00:39:39management so that the image truly reaches correctly. Without a doubt. So, to answer
00:39:43the first part of your question, yes, it is well-known,
00:39:46and it is known that it is on the Jordanian side, and it is known that Al-Maghtas is in Jordan. That's why when people
00:39:50come, they don't have time, for example, they might have, let's say,
00:39:53guests for the Kingdom who came for a certain purpose. They must go down to Al-Maghtas.
00:40:05You know that it is one of the five Christian pilgrimage sites. So, we want to link them to the entire
00:40:09Christian pilgrimage. We link the north of Jordan to its south, its east, its west, because
00:40:13let's say, closer to it you have Madaba and Mukawir and Mount
00:40:16Nebo, which is a Christian pilgrimage site and Mukawir.
00:40:20And you also have two in Ajloun and Anjara, which
00:40:22is Our Lady of the Mount and Mar Elias.
00:40:28Petra, which everyone knows what Petra is, and they must pass by it.
00:40:31Then we start telling them, "What do you think of visiting Wadi Rum
00:40:35or Jabal Um Ad-Dami?" And you have the oldest church in Aqaba. So, see how we
00:40:38can link all of Jordan in a ten-day visit, not just for an hour
00:40:42or two. From your perspective as a journalist,
00:40:46what is the most important story we can tell about
00:40:50Al-Maghtas? We can tell it historically, we can tell it religiously. What are the most important
00:40:53things that we can convey, especially so that it truly reaches and produces
00:40:58the image of the country?