King Abdullah II of Jordan Tours Machu Picchu in Peru

Yesterday King Abdullah II of Jordan visited the most iconic symbol of the Inca empire, Machu Picchu Archeological Complex in Peru. The monarch had arrived in Lima on Wednesday, and the following day began a motorcycle journey along with his security team to Nazca before continuing on to Ayacucho and then Cusco.

Having received good recommendations about the mysterious site, the storied Lost City of the Incas and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, King Abdullah II made a point to visit the ruins before the beginning of the third Summit of South American and Arab Countries, an initiative of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva which begins today in Peru and is the reason for the king's visit.

Adding that he is always enthusiastic about learning about different cultures, after his tour of Machu Picchu King Abdullah declared that "it is beautiful, fantastic and wonderful."

He returned to Lima yesterday night via private plane, as the summit which has occasioned his visit to Peru begins today. Tomorrow the king will deliver an address to the 2,000 heads of state, industry leaders, and other power players who have gathered in Lima for the event, among them Qatar's Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Palestine's Mahmud Abbas, and the presidents of Tunisia, Lebanon, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Chile.

To minimize consequences from the large influx of visitors, President Ollanta Humala declared today and tomorrow national holidays, allowing more than 200,000 residents of Lima to travel throughout Peru, generating US$200 million in revenue, according to the National Chamber of Tourism.

Peruvian officials hope that closer ties will lead to increased Arab investment in areas such as hotel projects (sought by Mincetur, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism) and the sustainable development of the infrastructure of the Amazon (headed by the mayor of Loreto), where a railway is tentatively planned. Another hope is that Emirates Airlines, which has presented a 5 year plan to Peruvian officials, will be adding Lima to its flight routes, thereby increasing connectivity between the Arab and South American countries.