“The Baptism site tells the story of one of the first refugees to Jordan, being Jesus Christ himself, may peace and blessings be upon him, and this story continues with the contemporary waves of refugees … I think it started here and it is a story that tells the story of Jordan throughout the ages … This is a UNESCO Heritage Site and needs to be protected; we want to make sure that this is preserved for centuries to come.”
A non-profit charitable foundation was established in the Kingdom under the name “The Development of lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site Foundation”, a legal entity with financial and administrative independence. In this capacity, it has the right to register movable and immovable assets under its name, expropriation, and carry out all legal actions necessary to achieve its objectives, including entering into agreements, borrowing and accepting donations, gifts, grants and bequests. Subject to the provisions of the Regulations of the Baptism Site Commission, the Foundation aims to develop the lands adjacent to the Baptism Site in a manner that would enhance the site’s status to become one of the most important and largest global religious and historical tourist attractions, and contribute to attracting religious tourism to the Kingdom, in addition to supporting and empowering local communities, boosting their capabilities, and providing job opportunities for them.
The Development of Lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site Foundation is led by a diverse board of Jordanians who have decades of experience in championing Arab and Jordanian social, political, and economic causes.
A Civil engineer with expertise in Management of different kind of projects, infrastructure ,building and Industrial ,experience in investment and PPP projects, academia, and leadership roles
Former Minister of Social Development
Former Senator
Former UNDP Head of the Poverty and Gender Team
Media and Communication Consultant
Former Director General of Jordan Radio and Television Corporation
Managing Partner at A&T Najdawi Law Office
CEO of Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Former Board Member of the World Trade Centers Association
Former General Manager of Amman and Abu Dhabi World Trade Centers
Owner and CEO of Wahib Medanat Consulting Engineers, with extensive experience in engineering consultancy and project management
Executive Director - Investment at NEOM, with over 25 years of experience in private equity, asset management, and investment banking
Executive Director of the Zaha Cultural Center, has won awards for excellence, including first place in the category of Distinguished Leadership/Supervisory Employee in the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency, the Distinguished Government Employee Award in its ninth session (2022/2023). She is also the founder of the Safe parks project and a member of several panels and committees
Former Director of Royal Heritage Directorate at the Royal Hashemite Court, focuses on cultural heritage and the film industry
Bethany Beyond the Jordan, was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the United States on June 21, 2021. The principal purpose of the Foundation shall be to support the preservation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bethany Beyond the Jordan Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas) and related educational, charitable, religious, archaeological, cultural, community development, and environmental activities. The Foundation is organized exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, and literary purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
President, Regions and Corporate Relations - Bechtel Group
Former US Ambassador to Jordan during the period of 2011-2014
Advisor overseeing the overall development of the project, and an endorser of the project vision
President & CCO At Brewed to Serve (BTS)
Member of The US Foundation
Serves on a number of corporate and non-profit boards involving technology, international development and the environment.
Deerfield Academy Head of School
Former Headmaster at King’s Academy in Jordan
Former Academic Dean at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware
Professor of Medicine
Vice Research Chair for Innovation at the Mayo Clinic, MN, USA
Research Professor of Political Science and Law at Vanderbilt University
Founding President and CEO of Millions of Conversations