Jordanian officials tout message of 'Journey of Hope'

A number of Jordanian officials praised on Tuesday the message the caretakers of the Kuwaiti "Boat of Hope" were promulgating regarding bringing attention to the plight of people with mental disabilities.
Kamel Mahadin, Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority told KUNA today the worldwide trip the Boat of Hope was undertaking translated to the world Kuwait's earnest attention to the problems facing people with special needs.
He said Jordanian authorities, while welcoming the arrival of the boat and its passengers of Kuwaiti officials and people with special needs, would spare no effort to make their stay in Jordan a comfortable one.
As for Aqaba's mayor Fawaz Arshidat, he told KUNA the Kuwaiti boat's trip has disseminated a humanitarian message to the world that maximum care should be accorded to people with constricted mental abilities and others with special needs.
Kuwait's ambassador to Jordan Dr. Hamad Al-Duaij, among those welcoming the crew and passengers of the Kuwaiti boat, told KUNA he thanked all those taking part in sailing this ship of hope around the world, imparting a humanitarian message that is often not heard loud and clear.
Yousif Al-Jassim, director of the trip, said their stop in Jordan was important because of the close relationship Kuwait has with it.
He said so far the boat has sailed about 14000 nautical miles. These officials today were at a meeting celebrating the arrival of the ship to Aqaba. A short documentary on the trip's journey around the world was shown and gifts were traded between Kuwaiti and Jordanians attending the meeting.
The boat had arrived to Aqaba last Sunday coming from Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt to which it would return on Thursday on its eventual home stretch to Kuwait which will be approximately on December 1st of this year.