AMMAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday signed a deal worth 100 million U.S. dollars with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which aims to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the kingdom.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Jordanian King Abdullah II and visiting UAE Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who arrived in Amman for an official visit on Tuesday.
Under the deal, signed by UAE's Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Jordan's Crown Prince Foundation, loans will be provided to finance 22,000 projects in Jordan and create 28,000 jobs during the next five years, the Jordanian news agency Petra reported.
It seeks to support Jordan's economy and enhance entrepreneurship in the kingdom, it said.
The agreement will focus on women in particular, as 47 percent of the financing will be allocated for women.
Also on Tuesday, King Abdullah and the UAE crown prince held talks to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments.
King Abdullah voiced appreciation for UAE's continued support to Jordan, while commending Abu Dhabi's stances on various issues.
For his part, the crown prince said his country was keen on increasing cooperation with Jordan as it highly values Jordan's role in the Middle East.
He also voiced appreciation for Jordan's efforts in attaining peace in the region and supporting the war on terrorism.
