The selection recognizes the area's agricultural and heritage assets, including centuries-old trees and local varieties long associated with the district's farming landscape.
اضافة اعلان
Engineer Akef Al-Dhunaibat, director of the Petra Region Agriculture Directorate, told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that naming the district the capital of Jordanian olive oil offers an opportunity to showcase the area's agricultural wealth and introduce its varieties and centuries-old trees. He noted that the directorate works with farmers to preserve the orchards and encourage planting varieties suited to local climate conditions, alongside providing agricultural guidance and monitoring pests that affect production and fruit quality.
He added that the Ministry of Agriculture views Petra through two lenses: one focused on the historic city and its cultural, touristic, and economic legacy, and another on agriculture — particularly olive farming — given its economic and developmental value for farmers and the local community.
He pointed out that the olive tree forms part of the local identity and can be leveraged to support agritourism, connecting visitors with products made by families and farmers in the district, thereby strengthening integration between the agricultural and tourism sectors.
According to the Petra Region Agriculture Directorate, the area planted with olive trees totals around 6,700 dunums, with the main varieties including Nabali, Improved Nabali, and Rumi (or Baladi/local). The region also contains ancient trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.
Farmer Khalifa Hilalat said olive cultivation is an integral part of life for Petra's residents, noting that many trees have been inherited by farmers from their fathers and grandfathers, who passed down along with them the methods of caring for the trees, harvesting their fruit, and making use of their products.
He added that naming Petra the capital of Jordanian olive oil boosts marketing opportunities for olive oil and related products and helps bring the local product to visitors.
For his part, farmer Nazir Al-Hasanat affirmed that the olive tree holds both economic and heritage value for the people of the region, pointing to the importance of preserving old trees, expanding their cultivation, and strengthening cooperation between farmers and relevant authorities.
He noted that linking agricultural products to the tourism sector offers an opportunity to introduce visitors to what the region produces and encourage them to purchase local products.
The Agriculture Directorate continues to monitor tree health and combat pests, chief among them the olive fruit fly, while guiding farmers toward appropriate control methods and adherence to agricultural guidelines during the period leading up to the harvest.
The "Petra: Capital of Jordanian Olive Oil 2026" initiative aims to expand the presence of this product within the tourism scene, by introducing its production and marketing methods and connecting producers with tourist facilities, hotels, restaurants, and local markets.
It also offers an opportunity to boost the participation of women, youth, productive families, and small business owners in economic activity, helping create new opportunities and increase the local community's benefit from Petra's global touristic standing.
