King orders construction of new houses for underprivileged families

His Majesty King Abdullah speaks to Safout residents during a surprise visit to the area, located north of Amman, on Tuesday (Photo by Yousef Allan) AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah paid a surprise visit to four underprivileged families residing in tents in Safout neighbourhood, north of Amman, on Tuesday. The King checked on the families' living conditions and listened to their needs and demands, according to a Royal Court statement. His Majesty instructed the concerned authorities to build four housing units for the families to replace the tents they live in. Two of the tents' residents are sanitation workers at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), the third works as a quarry guard, while the fourth family has no supporter, and the mother lives with her two children, one of whom is disabled, on a JD45 allowance from the government. In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the woman said she always dreamed of living in a house with her children. She said she was surprised when the King walked into her tent. "I knew relief was coming. Today, the King ordered that a house be built for me. This is my dream, to put a life of difficulty and suffering behind me after 30 years," she told Petra. One of the GAM sanitation workers, whose six-member family lives in a neighbouring tent, said he chose to live in a tent because he cannot afford his family's daily needs. The families, whose tents are erected on a piece of land they rent for JD200 a year, voiced appreciation for the King's gesture. Also on Tuesday, King Abdullah inaugurated the Gaza Hashem Mosque in Ain Al Basha area on Tuesday, another Royal Court statement said. The King checked on the 4,000-square-metre mosque's design, which is inspired by Islamic architecture through its domes and arches. Built at the expense of Hussein Attiyeh, the three-storey mosque can accommodate 5,000 worshippers