Queen Rania visits Offline Show and Fab Lab in trip to Irbid

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited Fab Lab Irbid and the latest Offline Show held at the Jordan University for Science and Technology, on Wednesday.

At Fab Lab, The Queen was welcomed by the E.U Ambassador to Jordan, Mr. Andrea Fontana, the Founding Partner and Director of Fab Lab Irbid, Mr. Loay Malahmeh, and the CEO of Luminus Group, Mr. Ibrahim Al Safadi.

Her Majesty took a tour of the laboratory’s facilities and met with the entrepreneurs of several startups making use of the space.

As part of the tour, Queen Rania stopped by the lab’s Industrial Area where hands-on manufacturing activities are conducted at the metal shop, wood shop, and molding shop.

Her Majesty also passed by the Clean Area and browsed the facility’s technology-powered machinery, including the latest 3D printing devices.

Fab Lab Irbid is a space dedicated to providing up-and-coming entrepreneurs with the latest modern technologies, knowledge, and means for product innovation. Equipped with state-of-the art machinery, the laboratory is designed to help startups experiment with and build any product prototype from scratch.

The lab is a constituent of the Shamal Start program, which is funded by the European Union, with the objective of developing the local economy and creating new job opportunities for the communities of Irbid and Mafraq.

With a specific focus on the manufacturing and services industries, the program aims to establish ninety startups and support another sixty micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Irbid and Mafraq.

The program is run by three Jordanian private sector institutions including, Luminus Education, 3Dmena Social Innovation and the Royal Scientific Society’s iPark.

Her Majesty’s next stop was the Offline Show taking place at the Jordan University for Science and Technology, where she was greeted by the university’s President, H.E. Professor Omar Al-Jarrah.

Queen Rania joined about 170 students and members of staff at the university’s auditorium to watch the latest performance of the recurring interactive discussion show, Offline Show.

Her Majesty stressed how impressed she was with the performance, especially since it tackles social issues of great importance to all Jordanians.

“Satirical art, the core of which are society’s woes and most pressing issues, greatly influences public opinion and helps change preconceived notions,” she said.

The Queen told the audience that they are the future of Jordan.

“We have great hopes for you. We hope that you will be the generation that fosters constructive dialogue, the one that overcomes any notions of negativity passed on from generation to generation, and the one to solve your issues without throwing blame,” she said.

Her Majesty also encouraged the students to continue participating in important discussions like the one centered on educational reform and development, referencing the clarity of His Majesty’s mission regarding the need for reform in his Seventh Discussion Paper.

The Offline Show, conceived by Jordanian social media activists and influencers, Omar Zorba, Ahmad Srour, Mouath Omari, and Odai Hijazi, is an interactive ongoing show that discusses complex and controversial issues and provides a safe space for the discussion of ethical problems and the rehearsal of real-life ethical choices.

Different renditions of the show were previously performed at Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Al Hussein bin Talal University, and Usama Al Mashini Theater.