The governor of the Jordanian capital offered the city's keys Thursday to visiting Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi during a red-carpet ceremony as thousands of well-wishers cheered wildly.
Downtown Amman's Nakheel Square outside City Hall was spruced up for the 15-minute event, which had been initially slated as a public rally during which Kadhafi had been expected to address the crowds.
Wearing a flowing sky-blue robe and matching cap the Libyan leader, escorted by his host King Abdullah II, arrived in a huge motorcade in the city center where camel-hair tents and red carpets had been laid out.
A marching band played traditional music as the two leaders sat on green armchairs under a dais to listen to a welcoming speech by Governor Nidal al-Hadid.
"The homes of our people are open to welcome you," Nidal said before offering Jordan's guest the keys to the city.
Kadhafi then walked with Abdullah several meters (yards) across the esplanade outside city hall amid a thunder of applause from a throng of thousands of well-wishers.
Kadhafi clasped his hands in the air in sign of victory and smiled generously at the people who cheered him on.
The pair then got into an open-topped armored black Mercedes limousine and drove off to the royal palace in a motorcade that included military cars and slick motorcycles, preceded by royal guards mounted on white horses and carrying fanions.
Abdullah and Kadhafi stood in the car greeting the crowds that lined the large avenue that cut through downtown Amman on the way to the hill-top Raghadan Palace.
Kadhafi waved, clasped his fist in sign of victory, and even blew kisses at times to the crowd.
Earlier Thursday he and Abdullah inaugurated a well in a multi-million water conveyance project which Libyan will help finance. Libya will use its know-how in pumping water from the desert and help parched Amman build a water conveyance scheme which is being dubbed the "Fateh" project after the September 1, 1969 Libyan revolution.
The project is to pump water from the Disi aquifer in southern Jordan to Amman, more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) to the north, providing it with 100 million cubic meters (3.5 billion cubic feet) annually.
Halawani told reporters the project would consist, among other things, in digging 82 wells, as well as two main water pumping stations for a total estimated cost of 650 million dollars.
Libyan experts visited Jordan at the end of August to resume technical studies.
Unnamed officials have said Libya agreed to build pipelines along half the route as well as give Jordan 100 million dollars to help finance the scheme.
Libya has brought water from under its southern desert to irrigate the arid north since the 1990s.
The Libyan leader arrived Wednesday in Jordan from Egypt on his first visit to the kingdom in 17 years.
Kadhafi will continue on later in the week to Syria, where he has not traveled since 1990, according to an Arab diplomat in Damascus.
The Libyan leader will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to look at "Arab and African issues and bilateral relations ... including investments in the two countries, particularly Libyan projects in Syria."
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
