📰 4 sources 5 articles · 1 Oct 2026, 12:25 → 14 days ago

Jordanian tourism minister's visit to Lebanon and invitation to join "Jordan, Dawn of Christianity" celebrations in 2030

Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Emad Hijazeen made a three-day official visit to Lebanon at the invitation of Tourism Minister Laura Lahoud, including meetings with President Joseph Aoun and Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, and a tour of religious sites. The visit focused on boosting tourism cooperation, especially religious tourism, and included an invitation to Lebanon and the Maronite Church to take part in 2030 celebrations marking 2,000 years since the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, under the title "Jordan, Dawn of Christianity".

📍 Where things stand: The Jordanian minister's three-day official visit concluded at Beirut Port and Raouche Rock, with an invitation extended to Minister Lahoud to visit Jordan.

⏱️ Timeline

1 Oct 2026, 12:25 President Joseph Aoun discussed Lebanon's participation in celebrations held under the title "Jordan, Dawn of Christianity".
1 Oct 2026, 14:54 President Joseph Aoun received at Baabda Palace Jordanian Tourism Minister Emad Hijazeen, who conveyed the greetings of King Abdullah II and invited Lebanon to participate in the celebrations marking 2,000 years since the baptism. Aoun also received Defense Minister Michel Menassa and discussed the security situation in the south, the continuation of Israeli attacks and the needs of the military institution, and received Information Minister Paul Morcos to discuss the implementation of the new media law and the modernization of Radio Lebanon.
2 Oct 2026, 20:05 Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi received at the patriarchal seat in Bkerke Jordanian Tourism Minister Emad Hijazeen, in the presence of Lebanese Tourism Minister Laura Khazen Lahoud and an accompanying delegation. Hijazeen announced the launch of preparations in Jordan to celebrate in 2030 the 2,000th anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, within a series of activities titled "Jordan, Dawn of Christianity", and invited Lebanon and the Maronite Church to take part.
3 Oct 2026, 11:14 Lebanese Tourism Minister Laura Lahoud and her Jordanian counterpart Emad Hijazeen toured religious sites in Lebanon, including Deir Qozhaya, Baqaa Kafra, Annaya and the Hermitage of Saint Charbel. Hijazeen invited Lebanon to participate in the 2030 celebrations marking two thousand years since the baptism of Jesus Christ at the Baptism Site (Al-Maghtas), noting the development of a Christian pilgrimage route comprising more than 34 sites.
4 Oct 2026, 11:03 Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Emad Hijazeen concluded a three-day official visit to Lebanon at the invitation of Tourism Minister Laura Lahoud, during which talks focused on strengthening tourism cooperation between the two countries, particularly religious tourism, arts, culture and walking trails. Hijazeen visited Beirut Port, where he was briefed on the repercussions of the August 4 explosion, and also visited Raouche Rock, and extended an invitation to Minister Lahoud to visit Jordan.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

The coverage converged on the details of the visit and the invitation to the 2030 celebrations, but differed in emphasis: Lebanon Debate and lebanondebate.com gave more attention to the official track, the meetings with the President and the Patriarch and areas of tourism cooperation, while annahar.com focused on the religious dimension, the tour of sites and the Christian pilgrimage route, and Lebanon ON's coverage was limited to noting Aoun's discussion of Lebanese participation.

Lebanon ON Limited to noting that President Joseph Aoun discussed Lebanon's participation in celebrations titled "Jordan, Dawn of Christianity", without details on the visit or the meetings.
Lebanon Debate Highlighted Aoun's reception at Baabda Palace of Jordanian Tourism Minister Emad Hijazeen, the conveying of King Abdullah II's greetings and the invitation to the celebrations marking 2,000 years since the baptism, alongside Aoun's meetings with Defense Minister Michel Menassa on the security situation in the south and Israeli attacks, and with Information Minister Paul Morcos on the media law and Radio Lebanon; in its later report it highlighted Patriarch al-Rahi's reception of Hijazeen and the announcement of preparations for the 2030 celebrations.
annahar.com Focused on the religious tour by the Jordanian minister and his Lebanese counterpart through Deir Qozhaya, Baqaa Kafra, Annaya and the Hermitage of Saint Charbel, and on the invitation to the 2030 celebration at the Baptism Site and the development of a Christian pilgrimage route with more than 34 sites.
lebanondebate.com Highlighted the conclusion of the three-day official visit and the areas of tourism cooperation on which the talks focused (religious tourism, arts, culture and walking trails), the closing tour of Beirut Port to review the repercussions of the August 4 explosion and of Raouche Rock, as well as the invitation to Tourism Minister Lahoud to visit Jordan.