For nearly 10 years, Electricité de France (EDF), the national French electric company, has been involved in Jordan with the corporate patronage programme for science and technology. This close collaboration with the officials of the Kingdom of Jordan has naturally led EDF to sponsor the Franco-Jordanian initiative with this exhibition, "On the Footsteps of Archaeologists in Jordan", organised by the Arab World Institute.

Besides its financial contribution to setting up the exhibition, the patronage programme for science and technology has brought EDF to intervene in the restoration of various archaeological objects from Jordan, and equally in the effort to save the site of Petra.

The objects in this exhibition restored by EDF are:
- the "Jerash Carpenter's Key" (Roman period), the first Jordanian artefact handled by EDF;
- various metal objects from the Mafraq site (Omayyad period);
- the famous Dead Sea copper scroll, restitution 11 March 1997 to Her Majesty Queen Nour of Jordan by the President of EDF, Mr. Edmond Alphandéry, at the Louvre Museum.

Visitors will also enjoy a look at the projects for saving the renown site of Petra:
- Hydrogeologic study for general water control of the site. The purpose of the work is to offer solutions to stem deterioration of the sculpted rock by lowering the water table, thus diminishing the capillaries of salt water.
- Research aimed at reinforcing the structure of the rock with an electrophoresis treatment.

Created in 1984, EDF's corporate patronage programme for science and technology provides cultural projects with the skills and technology that are normally used by EDF for design, planning, construction and implementation of structures for production and transfer of electrical power.

EDF Press Releases. Contact Manuel Lenas on 33.1.40.42.49.49; Fax: 33.1.40.42.72.44