AKEED, Anwar Ziadat

Local and Arab media has extensively reported on the economic aid package offered to Jordan by three Gulf states in the wake of the Mecca meeting on 11 June 2018. However, vagueness and debate have surfaced over the value of this aid, which is worth $2.5 billion, the mechanism of its breakdown, and how it will be disbursed. The coverage clearly reflected the political trends of media outlets. The same applies to the initiative of the Qatari government, which was announced on 13 June 2018, to assist Jordan.

The noticeable thing about the coverage of local and Arab media, including news agencies, television, printed press, and electronic newspapers, is that it has failed to obtain accurate figures about the value of direct aid and loan guarantees.

The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) tried to find out the details through contacting Gulf diplomatic missions in Amman. However, a diplomatic source, who preferred anonymity, pointed out that "embassies are executive agencies and do not have information about the exact details of the aid. This information came from the leaders of the states who took part in the Mecca summit."

The statements of Prime Minister Omar Razzaz during a news conference he held at the Prime Ministry on Tuesday, 19 June, in the presence of Jumana Ghneimat, minister of state for media affairs and official spokesperson for the government, did not dispel vagueness concerning the nature and details of this aid.

Speaking about Gulf aid at the conference, Razzaz said: "People should not think that the amounts that were announced will be available for spending." He pointed out that indications are that "the amounts that will be allocated for supporting the budget, investment projects, and infrastructure will be limited and will include specific amounts from the total value of this aid." However these statements did not provide details as well.

The media highlighted this vagueness. This includes an article headlined "Where Will Gulf Aid to Jordan Go?" The article stated that "the statement issued by the Mecca summit on helping Jordan failed to provide details. What was published raises many questions that require answers. For example, what is the value of the deposit with the Central Bank of Jordan? What is the value of the annual support for the budget of the Jordanian government over the next five years?"

The article concluded by saying that "it is the right of each Arab citizen to know the value of aid offered to his government by its Arab brothers to inquire about it and so that it will not be spent according to whims and interests."

A state of vagueness has engulfed the mechanism of breakdown of Gulf aid, which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE have pledged to offer to Jordan at the Mecca summit to help it weather its economic crisis. Reports published in the media show four types of content on this aid. The first type applies to the local media. It values the decision and highlights its advantages under different headlines, such as "Experts: Gulf Aid…Message of Reassurance to Jordanian Citizens."

The second type applies to the media of the states offering aid. It exaggerated the impact of this aid on Jordan under different headlines, such as "Expert: Gulf Aid To Enhance Monetary Situation in Jordan" and "International Newspapers and Agencies Praise Gulf Aid Package to Jordan." 

In the third type, some opposed media outlets tried to belittle the aid under different headlines, such as "Four-Way Summit on Jordan and Conditional Aid," and "What Is the Price Paid by Jordan for Gulf Aid?"

The fourth type applies to press that debates issues neutrally. However, this press failed to provide information and answer relevant questions. It simply presented different viewpoints under different headlines, such as "Gulf, European Aid to Jordan To Weather Crisis."   

Vagueness also applied to Qatari aid. The Qatari statement spoke about investing $500 million in infrastructure projects and tourism in Jordan and providing 10,000 job opportunities in the State of Qatar for young Jordanians. It did not speak about any financial grants. Some media outlets reported it as a grant. In this context, the headlines carried terms and expressions that do not accurately characterize Qatari aid. This lack of accuracy was not confined to local websites; Arab websites also inaccurately reported the news.

Media monitoring showed that the voice of the professional press was the weakest. The press is supposed to look for answers to questions and not to fall for interpretations of an ideological or propagandistic nature.

Jumana Ghneimat, spokesperson for the government and minister of state for media affairs, told the Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) that "the Qatari grant is clear; it consists of a package of investments that target infrastructure projects worth $500 million and providing 10,000 job opportunities."  She added: "As for the aid announced at the Mecca summit by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, it is not very clear. Four items have been specified. They include a deposit with the Central Bank, guarantees to the World Bank, annual support for the budget, and financing from development funds for development projects."

She told AKEED that "so far, there has been no exact breakdown of the funds." She noted that "coordination with the Gulf entities that provided aid is continuing. Once the amounts are identified for each item, this will be announced clearly and precisely. The government will provide clear information to the public."

Husam Ayish, an economic expert, told the Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) that "vagueness is from the source. Four items have been identified, but no details were provided. Perhaps, it was left to the new government to agree on the details." He added: "At the same time, we fear that there could be conditions and that the larger part of this aid would be loan guarantees and a deposit at the Central Bank. We also fear that direct aid would be around 1 billion dinars over five years and that it would have a limited impact on the national economy and the perception of the citizens of its importance."

Ayish added: "Without knowing the real value of each item, no decisions can be made to benefit from it. We have heard nothing from Jordanian officials except praise. This means that they do not have details about this aid."

He said: "Unfortunately, we lack specialized and objective economic media. Many writings on economic affairs are not economic and are based on the position toward the government, whether for or against. Thus, people get confused because of conflicting information."

Salamah Diraawi, chief editor of the electronic newspaper Al- Maqar and a journalist who is specialized in economic affairs, told AKEED that "not specifying the amounts for each item is not considered vagueness because this is linked to the outcome of the meetings of technical committees that bring together aid providers and representatives of the Jordanian government. Afterward, priorities are set."

On media handling of this aid, Diraawi stressed the importance of this aid and that it is a key element in the budget and must not be underestimated. He said that anything that goes into the budget is important. This aid shows that "Jordan does not stand alone in the face of economic and political challenges." He said that "belittling or exaggerating the value of aid by some media outlets is against objectivity. This is also an attempt to use aid for political purposes."