jordan pulse -

By Mahmoud Ali Al-Dabbas –
We cannot call for boosting tourism to Jordan and inviting the world to visit without offering a comprehensive programme that enriches the visitor’s experience.

In countries rich in historical landmarks, natural sites, and charming cities, tourism cannot thrive on those alone. A full tourism programme is essential—one that offers diverse cultural and entertainment activities to encourage longer stays.

Just as Jordanians travelling abroad carefully review trip itineraries, including daily events and entertainment, tourists in Jordan need the same to shape their travel plans.

This is where the Jerash Festival plays a central role. With its blend of cultural and entertainment offerings, it is a cornerstone of Jordan’s tourism promotion strategy. It enhances the visitor’s experience by presenting a range of events through a globally recognised platform that hosts intellectuals, poets, singers, theatre artists, and visual artists from Jordan and across the Arab world.

The festival also features pavilions worth visiting, such as the Embassies Pavilion, offering a microcosm of global cultures and civilisations.

Beyond its cultural and artistic significance, the festival has a developmental and economic role. Through its small productive projects section, it gives local entrepreneurs from Jerash and nearby areas a direct sales outlet, creating seasonal jobs for local youth during the festival.

It’s wrong to reduce Jerash Festival to a series of concerts—important as those may be. Major performers do draw large Jordanian and Arab audiences, but concerts are just one part of a larger cultural landscape.

The economic impact of the festival spans multiple sectors:

Hotels see a surge in bookings

Tourists visit other attractions

Demand increases for transportation, restaurants, souvenirs, and local crafts

There is a noticeable uptick in air travel and retail activity


Thanks to this, Jerash has successfully fulfilled its national and cultural mission, reinforcing Jordan’s cultural identity, hosting Arab and international troupes, and attracting widespread local, regional, and global media attention. This coverage has spotlighted Jordan as a secure, attractive tourism destination, especially for visitors from the Gulf and across the Arab world.

For many Arab and foreign tourists—and Jordanian expatriates—trip plans are now aligned with the festival’s schedule.

The strong presence of the festival’s Higher Committee, as well as Minister of Culture Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh, who regularly attends cultural events and poetry and thought forums, has also stood out.

So too have the efforts of the festival’s executive director Ayman Samawi, who once again demonstrated his ability to craft a colourful, balanced cultural mosaic—earning admiration from guests and participants alike.

Also noteworthy are the behind-the-scenes efforts of the media coordination team, who ensured ideal conditions for journalists to cover all aspects of the festival. Khaled Ghneim played a vital role, building bridges of cooperation with everyone, and helping deliver standout media coverage that captured the festival’s vibrant spirit and resounding success.