Practical Information

The Main Conference of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2023 will take place at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre on 23-25 October.

The convention center has two entrances. For the opening on 23 October, only the main (front) entrance will be accessible. The second (back) entrance, which is accessible from the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa hotel, will be open on 24 and 25 for participants staying at the Hilton.

All participants, speakers, and guests are required to register in at the registration desk, located at the main foyer of the front entrance. Registration will be open from 8:15 am on 23, 24 and 25 October.

Speakers and participants will receive a badge to gain access to the building. For security purposes, everyone is required to have a proof of identity when receiving the badge and may be asked to show it when entering the building especially for the opening and closing sessions. 

Conference Hours

The Conference will start on Monday, 23 October at 9h00 AM, and will end on Wednesday, 25 at 6h00 PM local time. 

The High-Level Opening Ceremony will start at 2h00 PM on Monday, 23 October.

The Closing Ceremony will start at 5h00 PM on Wednesday 25, October.

There are 10 Plenary sessions organized throughout the three days.  

Over 40 Side events are organized throughout the conference days. They start on 23 October at 9:00 AM and continue throughout until 6h00 PM on 25 October. (The agenda for side events will be uploaded soon).

Working languages

Arabic is the spoken language in Jordan, but many locals speak English in varying degrees. At the conference, UNESCO will provide interpretation in English, Arabic and French to in person and online participants for all plenary sessions in the main hall. However, no interpretation will be provided for side events. Each will be conducted in a different language. Check the side event agenda for more information.  

Time zone 

Time in Jordan is on Arabia Standard Time (AST) (UTC+03:00).

Internet connection on site 

Free wi-fi connection is provided throughout the building. Network and password will be provided onsite.

Food and catering services 

Lunch and two coffee breaks are provided onsite, to all participants free of charge, for the three days. For those exploring additional dining options, especially for dinner, Samarah Mall is conveniently located just a 4-minute walk from the convention center and offers a variety of restaurants to suit every taste.

Access for people with reduced mobility

The venue is equipped to accommodate attendees with reduced mobility. For any specific accessibility requests or assistance, please contact ammds_gr@hilton.com. 

Dress Code

Business casual is recommended for the conference.

Arriving at the Queen Alia International Airport

At the airport: a special desk will be set up at the arrival terminal at Queen Alia International Airport to welcome conference participants. It will be branded with the conference banner. 

Getting to the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre (Conference venue)

The convention center is located in the hotels Area - Sweimeh - Dead Sea - Jordan.

From the airport: UNESCO will provide buses at the airport, for participants arriving on 22 October, to go to the Dead Sea, with drop off at selected hotels. These buses will also provide transportation back from the Dead Sea to the Airport, on 26 October. However, please note that the buses will have a fixed schedule, every hour or two, therefore you may need to wait for the next bus if you miss one. Therefore, it is better to take the earlier bus, rather than risk missing your flight on the way back.

The timetable will be communicated on the website soon. Please note that for participants arriving on another day, other than 22 October, or leaving before or after 26 October, will need to arrange for their own transportation. 

You can of course also opt for arranging your own transportation from the airport to the hotel and back. Airport official taxis are available around the hour, but you can also take a normal taxi, Uber or Careem. You do not even need to download the apps, you can request for your ride directly from the kiosks outside the terminal and pay in cash. Expect to pay anything from 70 JOD to 100 JOD or even more, depending on the size and type of your ride, arrival time, and number of passengers. 

From Amman: You can take a taxi or get a free ride on one of three buses* provided by the Amman Municipality, leaving from Amman each morning, and coming back from the Dead Sea in the evening. The timetable, routes, and gathering points will be communicated soon on the website. 

Please note that places are limited and will be provided on first-come-first-serve basis. Therefore, plan to arrive to the gathering point earlier to get a place on the bus. 

From other hotels at the Dead Sea: a free shuttle service will be provided twice a day during the three days of the conference (in the morning towards the convention center, and in the evening towards the hotels). The timetable will be available at the reception desk at identified hotels in the area. If your hotel is not included, please walk to the closest hotel to benefit from this service. 

Reminder: Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel arrangements, unless communicated differently by UNESCO, which is mainly for some speakers and moderators.

There are many hotels offering high quality service at the Dead Sea area. However, as October is a high season, we advise you to book your hotel room in advance and as soon as you confirm your registration for the conference. See below a list of hotels and their preferential rates for conference participants.

Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa (5 stars)

(Adjacent to the convention center and few steps away from the conference venue)

Rate: JD 180.00 ++ per room per night on a single occupancy with breakfast buffet.

Booking email: ammds_res@hilton.com

Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa (5 stars)

Rate: JD 139.00 ++ per single room per night with breakfast buffet, and 149++ per double room.

Booking email: Ebc@marriotthotels.com

Mövenpick Dead Sea Jordan (5 stars) 

Rate: JD 130.00++ per single room and JD 140.00++ per double room, including breakfast. 

Booking email: Groups.Jordan@movenpick.com 

Porto Dead Sea

Rate: JD 100.00++ per double room- (no single rooms available). Sea view including breakfast. 

Booking email: ahmad@deviresorts.net

Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea (5 stars)

Crowne Plaza Jordan - Dead Sea Resort & Spa (5 stars)

Grand East Resort & Spa - Dead sea (4 stars)

O Beach Hotel & Resort

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea (5 stars)

Considering The size of the conference and the number of participants, we kindly ask you to respect hygiene precautions, such as the use of hydro-alcoholic gel and frequent hand washing. 

Any person showing symptoms of Covid 19 (or suspicion of symptoms), whether vaccinated or not, must alert the organizers.

In the unfortunate event that you require health or medical treatment, Covid related or not, please inform your hotel’s front desk, or one of the event organizers if during conference hours. 

The Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa hotel, which is adjacent to the Convention Center, has a clinic and the nurse is available from 9:00am till 11:30pm, 5 days a week, and for the other 2 days, the nurse is available from 12:00pm to 9:00pm. Doctor is on call. For any emergency, the hotel can call an ambulance at any time. 

For more information related to health and medical treatment in Jordan please visit this site.

Medical centers and pharmacies in the area:

Panorama medical care center

Tel. +962 7 7749 3968

Pharmacy Rawabi Dead Sea

Tel. +962 7 7630 8862

The currency in Jordan is Jordanian Dinar (JOD). 1 US Dollar is the equivalent to around 0.70 JOD. It is divided into 10 dirham, 100 qirsh and 1000 fulus. The currency can be exchanged from home in your country of residence or at airports or banks in Jordan.

You can withdraw local currency from ATM machines available at most hotels in the Dead Sea area (including a withdrawal fee of 5 to 7 JOD), including at the Hilton hotel adjacent to the convention center.

Taxis and small business in Jordan do not accept credit cards. So, it is wise to travel with some cash in the local currency.

The weather in the Dead Sea area in October is relatively hot. Daytime temperatures usually reach 31°C with high heat and humidity, falling to 17°C at night. No rain is usually expected. It would be wise to stay hydrated throughout the day and avoid long hours, in peak times, under the sun. Water bottles will be available at the convention center during the conference. Please note that drinking tap water in Jordan is not recommended. 

If you plan to stay longer in Jordan, and wish to explore this beautiful country, visit the official site of the Jordan Tourism Board for more information. 

For any further information, please contact: GMILW23@unesco.org 

We look forward to welcoming you to the Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2023 Conference. Safe travels and see you soon in Jordan.

Ahlan wa Sahlan!