Zarqa, Feb. 22 (Petra) -- The Hashemite University and the American Center of Research (ACOR) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop Qasr Usaykhim in the Azraq for sustainable cultural tourism and convert the site into a multidisciplinary training hub.

The project seeks to safeguard heritage, strengthen tourism and architectural education, and provide field-based training for students at the Hashemite University's Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage and related disciplines.

According to a University statement issued Sunday, the MoU was signed by Hashemite University President Khaled Hyari and ACOR Executive Director Pearce Paul Creasman, in the presence of Vice President Sadeq Shdeifat, Dean of the Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage Nayef Haddad, and the researchers assigned to supervise the project, including Head of the Department of Heritage Resources and Museums Management Ali Manaseer and ACOR Deputy Director John Shearman.

Hyari said the MoU represents a strategic step reflecting the university’s commitment to protecting Jordan’s antiquities and heritage, raising awareness of them, and promoting them nationally and internationally. He added that the university will coordinate with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Department of Antiquities, the Azraq Municipality, and other partners to ensure integrated national and international efforts in support of sustainable development.

He noted that transforming Qasr Usaykhim into a training and reference center in heritage and tourism will create high-quality training opportunities for university students and further bolster Jordan’s standing as a global destination for cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.

For his part, Haddad said the site lies within a broad cultural landscape rich in archaeological features, including stone hunting structures such as desert kites, as well as other distinctive elements of the basalt desert. He stressed the importance of developing the area’s tourism offering through scientific, participatory, and internationally aligned approaches.

The MoU aims to expand cooperation in cultural heritage protection, sustainable tourism development, academic training, and capacity-building for students and academics through a specialized training platform. It also seeks to facilitate knowledge transfer, improve tourism education, engage the local community in tourism development initiatives, exchange expertise, and develop proposals to secure local and international funding.

The memorandum also provides for the establishment of a joint committee to oversee the project, draft the policies required to achieve its objectives, appoint supervising researchers, and create a documentation database.

//Petra// AO

22/02/2026 13:47:20