Under the Patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Economic and Commerce Bureau of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and The Jordan Investment Board, along with the cooperation of  the U.S.-Jordan Business Alliance and Business Council for International Understanding are organizing the Jordan-U.S. Investment and Trade Forum in Washington, D.C. on April 19th and in San Francisco, California on April 21, 2010.

This Forum will provide an opportunity for Jordanian and American private sector leaders as well as senior government officials from both countries to explore investment and commercial opportunities between the two countries. The agenda also features breakout sessions on cutting-edge topics such as Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Renewable Energy & Developing Green Technologies, Financial Services, Biotechnology, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, and Manufacturing and Logistics.The panels themselves are designed to be interactive and will cover several facets of selected sectors including a brief overview of the featured sector, opportunities, risk mitigation programs, financing options, and success stories.

The event will also mark the 60th anniversary of U.S.-Jordanian diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of signing the Free Trade Agreement. This multi-city event will provide an unparalleled opportunity for exposure, networking and doing business in Jordan and the Middle East and North Africa region.

Conference highlights include:

· Presentations on cutting-edge sectors (ICT, energy, healthcare,  manufacturing, logistics, financial services, infrastructure)

· Views from ministers and other senior officials

· Pre-scheduled one-on-one meeting opportunities with members of the Jordanian delegation

· Networking sessions with senior officials and senior Jordanian private sector executives

To learn more about the Forum and to register for this event, please contact:

Embassy of Jordan, Economic & Commerce Bureau

Email: jordanforum@jordanembassyus.org Website: www.jordanusforum.org

The Business Council for International Understanding

Email:j-donald@bciu.org

Website: www.bciu.org/JordanForum

The 2nd Annual AIA Gala will be held at Guastavino’s, a premier event space situated in the historic arcade underneath the 59th Street Bridge, on April 28th, 2010 in New York City. The event will honor Martha and Artemis Joukowsky with the Bandelier Award for Service to Archaeology, including their significant contributions to many archaeological sites in Jordan.  Dr. Martha Sharp Joukowsky has directed the Brown University excavations of the Great Temple at Petra since 1992 and has an eminent career spanning over three decades involving archaeological research in the Middle East. Likewise, Mr. Artemis A.W. Joukowsky has had an extensive record of support for a variety of archaeological endeavors in Jordan including Chairman of the Board of the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman. The Archaeological Institute of America is delighted to present both guests with the Bandelier Award for Service to Archaeology at their April Gala. 

Along with honoring the achievements of the Joukowskys, the Archaeological Institute of America will also like to shine the spotlight on Jordan to celebrate both the country’s ancient culture and the vibrancy of today.  Both HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan and HRH Prince Zeid Al-Hussein have also agreed to serve as Honorary Chairs of the Gala.

The Archaeological Institute of America promotes a vivid and informed public interest in the cultures and civilizations of the past, supports archaeological research, fosters the sound professional practice of archaeology, advocates for the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage, and represents the discipline in the wider world. For more information or to register for this event, please visit http://www.archaeological.org/gala/

The Baptism Site has witnessed an increase in the number of visitors during the past two months, compared with the same period of last year. Around 17,386 visitors and Christian pilgrims came to the site in January and February this year, compared with 12,692 last year. Baptism Site Commission Director Dia Madani told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Wednesday that a majority of the visitors were Europeans (56 per cent), mainly from Italy, Germany, France and Spain, followed by North and South America (19 percent) and the Far East (11 percent). About 5 per cent of the visitors came from the Arab world while 9 per cent were residents of Jordan. In addition, in January around 25,000 Christian pilgrims celebrated Epiphany and Theophany at the site, where John the Baptist lived and preached and where Jesus Christ was baptised.

For information on traveling to the Baptism Site, please visit: