Petra, Aug 31 (Petra) — Petra Development and Tourism Region
Authority (PDTRA) and Jordan River Foundation (JRF) signed small
grant agreements on Monday to support four youth initiatives by the
Petra region, under the “Promoting Innovation in the Blue Economy
through Community Participation and Entrepreneurship” project, backed
by the Dutch Embassy.

The agreements, inked under the patronage of Fatima Hilalat, PDTRA
Commissioner of Local and Environment Development, aim to empower
youth and turn their entrepreneurial ideas into practical projects
that address local challenges and advance sustainable development,
PDTRA said in a press release.

The grants followed a training program on leadership, community needs
assessment, civic engagement and solution development, followed by a
hackathon to develop and evaluate ideas and select the most feasible
and impactful initiatives.

The winning initiatives were “Petra Mushrooms,” “Petra Water
Heritage,” “Petra Green Pulse,” and “Scent of the Earth,” which focus
on leveraging local resources, water conservation, environmental
sustainability and incorporating elements of the local environment
and identity into entrepreneurial projects.

Hilalat stressed the importance of investing in youth potential and
supporting their entrepreneurial ideas, noting that empowering them
requires building their capacities, providing learning and experience
opportunities, and linking their initiatives to local community
needs.

She commended the partnership with the JRF and the Dutch Embassy in
implementing programs that promote innovation and entrepreneurship
and support development priorities in the Petra region.

//Petra// NQ