For King Abdullah of Jordan, President Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians in Gaza should be resettled there threatens the very survival of his country. Trump’s comments have highlighted Jordan’s dependence on US aid and raised existential questions about the country’s identity.
The kingdom relies on the $1.5 billion of US aid it receives every year and 3,000 US troops are stationed there. But it is also home to more than 2.39 million registered Palestinian refugees and 60% of Jordan’s population – including Queen Rania – are of Palestinian origin. Every Friday, the streets of Amman are full of people protesting the war in Gaza, chanting their support for Hamas and calling for an end to the peace agreement signed with Israel. The royal family plays a delicate balancing act, keen to avoid angering its Western allies while supporting the Palestinian people. As well as the Palestinians, Jordan also hosts approximately 650,000 Syrian refugees.
Before the war, tourism accounted for 15% of Jordan’s GDP. But now, tourists have stopped coming, costing the economy an estimated $280 million a month and adding to the country’s economic problems. There are high levels of unemployment.
With 92% of its land being desert, Jordan is also one of the driest countries in the world. It already struggles to provide water to its existing population and the Dead Sea could well disappear. It has lost a third of its surface area since the 1970s.
Jordan is an incredibly multifaceted country, being simultaneously a hub for tourists, a refuge for migrants, a neighbour to a conflict zone and home to a wealthy kingdom and politically engaged royal family. This documentary explores the complexities of a surprising kingdom.