CIEE is in regular contact with our resident staff in Jordan, Morocco, and the UAE and we are receiving regular updates from the regional security consultant who provides support for our programs in the northern Africa and the Middle East region. While there have been organized protests in Jordan and Morocco over the past few days, the situation in both countries remains relatively stable and peaceful. There haven't been any problems or protests in the UAE. As of today, all three of these CIEE Study Centers are operating on a normal schedule, and all of the students are doing fine.
Please find below additional information about these locations:
JORDAN:
Protests in Amman have been occurring on a regular basis for the past few weeks. Most of the organized demonstrations and sit-ins this week focused on continuing concerns about the economy and perceived lack of support from the government. These protests have generally been non-violent and announced in advance. CIEE staff have been able to alert students to upcoming public protests and keep them away from these gatherings. Although the government has granted many concessions, additional protests and sit-ins are likely to occur in the coming days. Programs at the CIEE Study Center in Amman are operating on a normal schedule, and all of the students are doing fine. They are being reminded to avoid any public demonstrations, remain vigilant about personal safety, and adhere carefully to CIEE safety and security protocols.
MOROCCO:
There were peaceful demonstrations in Rabat on February 20. Additional demonstrations occurred in other Moroccan cities, and there were a few violent incidents in Tangiers, Marrakesh, Al-Hoceima, and Fez. In contrast to the situation in other parts of the region, however, these events were covered fully by Moroccan media and appear to have been the work of opportunistic looters rather than the result of political violence. Human rights organizations, political parties, and NGOs have all released statements condemning the violence and stating that what happened had nothing to do with politics or any social claims. The Language and Culture program at the CIEE Study Center in Rabat is operating on a normal schedule, and all of the students are safe. They have been reminded to avoid all public demonstrations and remain vigilant about their personal safety and security.
UAE:
The situation in the UAE has remained completely calm, and there haven't been any reports of protests or problems. The public remains supportive of the country's leadership, and the Business, Engineering, Arts and Sciences program at the CIEE Study Center in Sharjah is operating on its normal schedule.
We will continue to work closely with our resident staff in these locations and our regional security consultant to monitor these situations and provide updates here as appropriate. Again, while there have been protests in Jordan and Morocco, our programs are operating normally, and our students are doing well and have been encouraged to communicate directly with their parents during this challenging time in the region.