During the visit, Abdullah promised to improve Tafileh's schools and hospitals.

Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, who accompanied Abdullah on the trip, says the government would provide the governorate with a sewage network at a cost of JD12m to JD15m.

Dahabi said that another JD500,000 would be spent improving Tafileh's most important road, the King's road.

He also promised to increase the funding for Tafileh Technical University in the 2009 budget, which will be presented to parliament in October.

Jordan's forecast budget deficit for 2008 has grown to JD826m, which is 6.5 per cent of gross domestic product.