Month: October 2022

The Ministry of Health (MoH) denied reports that a patient in the northeastern governorate of Mafraq had been diagnosed with cholera.

The patient, a Syrian woman, presented to the Mafraq Government Hospital complaining of normal illness, according to MoH Secretary-General Raed Shboul, and her cholera laboratory tests came back negative.

The woman was discharged from the hospital yesterday, he added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordan Businessmen Association (JBA) and the Kurdistan Investors’ Union have sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch a joint Jordanian-Kurdish business council to further develop bilateral economic relations.

The agreement was signed by JBA President Hamdi Tabbaa and President of Kurdistan Investors Union Ahmed Rikany.

A JBA statement on Sunday said that the business council will contribute to concluding joint trade and investment agreements between business owners from the two countries, with the aim of expanding bilateral economic activities.

“It will also play a role in encouraging joint cooperation between the Jordanian and Iraqi business communities, by exchanging investment information as well as trade delegations,” the statement added.

The JBA President described the prospective council as an important step to advance bilateral relations at various levels, aiming at supporting the national economy, enhancing the Kingdom’s investment environment and attracting investments.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) on Sunday welcomed the first chartered flight carrying 134 Romanian tourists, marking the launch of an “air bridge” linking Amman with Bucharest.

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Nayef Fayez, stated in a press release that the launch of this tourism “air bridge,” with one flight per week until the end of the year, confirms the increase in the number of tourists arriving in Amman as a gateway to the Kingdom’s tourist and archaeological sites.

“This air bridge is the result of the Jordan Tourism Board’s (JTB), the Ministry of Tourism, and Jordan’s embassy in Bucharest working together to facilitate low-cost flight routes to promote tourism activities,” said JTB Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat.

“Inviting low-cost regular and charter flights from various countries to QAIA and King Hussein Airport in Aqaba would increase arrivals from Romania and other EU nations,” he added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Minister of Investment Khairy Amro said on Saturday that Jordan is an ideal investment and business destination, thanks to the advantages, competitiveness and incentives it offes to businesses.

Amr said during his participation in the Jordan Investment Forum with Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which was organized by the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA), that the Kingom is rich in trade and investment opportunities in the information and communications technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, tourism and medical tourism sectors.

Jordan, he said, aspires to become a regional logistical hub, given its strategic location as a gateway between Eastern Europe and Turkey and the Arab Gulf states, stressing that the Kingdom has available opportunities to attract foreign capital in the infrastructure of energy, transport and other key sectors related to sustainable development.

The minister pointed out that the government, through the Public-Private Partnership Unit at the Ministry of Investment, has identified bankable projects in water, transport, digital and education sectors.

He noted that Jordan’s recently-launched economic modernization roadmap for the coming years is a key turning point to unlock the national economy’s potential to achieve comprehensive and sustainable growth, increase the Kingdom’s GDP to $82 billion by 2033 and absorb more than one million young people in the labor market.

Amr said the government adopted a set of organizational and institutional priorities to enhance the competitiveness of the national economy and improve the business and investment environment, including setting up the Investment Ministry as the entity to manage and oversee investment affairs, regulate an investor’s journey through a one-stop-shop, attract foreign capital, stimulate local investments and manage public-private partnership projects.

He also cited the Parliament’s approval of the investment environment bill, which is in line with international best practices, as it defines the rights, privileges and duties of investors, and treats them fairly, equitably and transparently, in addition to updating and simplifying procedures to spur business and economic activities.

For his part, JBA President Hamdi Al-Tabbaa said the forum is a first step towards building an action plan to seize available opportunities in Iraqi Kurdistan region, noting that Jordan’s geographical location and proximity to Iraq is a privilege to launch joint projects, as well as highlighting Jordan as a regional logistics business hub.

He said Jordanian companies began exporting to Iraqi Kurdistan region in 2013, besides participating in exhibitions directed to the Erbil market, especially in the construction, chemicals and textile sectors, as well as agriculture, health and engineering.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply signed sub-agreements to provide financial and technical support to about 195 small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yousef Shamali signed the agreements with executives of the Industry Support and Development Fund programs, including the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation, Jordan Exports and Jordan Loan Guarantee Corporation.

The aim is to develop the products of these establishments, at a financial ceiling of JD100,000 annually for each facility. Grants will also be provided to about 160 small and medium industrial enterprises to enhance their export readiness, at an annual ceiling of JD50,000 for each.

As for the export credit guarantee support program, it targets about 45 industrial establishments, at a ceiling of JD35,000 annually for each facility, plus the output-based incentives program to improve the competitiveness of the Jordanian industry, at an average of 280 industrial establishments and an annual ceiling of up to JD75,000, JD150,000 and JD250,000 for small, medium and large enterprises, respectively.

Shamali, who is also Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Industry Development Fund, said in a press release that the signing of the agreements is part of government efforts to support the national industry, which will have a key impact on increasing production and enhancing the competitiveness of industrial sector exports and its ability to create job opportunities and reduce unemployment rates.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The total value of the certificates of origin issued by Irbid Chamber of Industry (ICI) over last September stood at $108 million, compared to certificates released in September 2021, which amounted to $115 million, marking a 6% drop.

In a statement to “Petra” on Saturday, ICI head, Hani Abu Hassan, said this “slight” decrease is due to the decline in demand for exported goods, especially in the leather and textile sector, as a result of repercussions of Russian-Ukrainian war.

Despite the relative decline in leather sector’s exports, it remained at the fore in the government’s exporting volume, with exports worth $99 million, while therapeutic industries and medical supplies sector ranked in second place, at $2.5 million, he said.

Foodstuffs sector’s exports amounted to $2.4 million and the remaining exported goods covered mining, construction, plastic, packaging, carton, engineering, electrical and chemical industries, he said.

In addition, he said Al Hassan Industrial Estate exports were worth $100.4 million of the governorate’s exports during last September, followed by Cyber City at $6.7 million and other exported commodities were distributed to different regions in the governorate.

US market’s imports were about $83 million from the governorate’s exports, while value of exports to Arab countries amounted to $7.2 million and European Union countries at $5 million. Other exports went to other countries around the world, including Southeast Asian countries, he pointed out.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan Exporters Association (JEA) is organizing the participation of local companies specialized in the food industry in the SIAL International Food Exhibition, which is scheduled to kick off on October 15 in the capital Paris.

According to the association’s president, Ahmed Khudari, 11 Jordanian companies operating in the desserts, chocolate, spices, nuts and beverages sectors will participate in the Jordanian pavilion to display their products, stressing that the exhibition is a key global food fair.

Jordan’s participation, which is the third in the exhibition, stems from the association’s keenness to promote national products and seek to open new markets for local companies to contribute to increasing exports, he noted.

Khudari, in a statement on Saturday, said JEA is keen to provide a platform for Jordanian exporters to enhance their presence in European markets, adding that France is an important gateway for Jordanian industrial products to enter into the important African markets, especially with participation of African businesspeople in the exhibition.

The event constitutes an important commercial platform for exchanging ideas and getting aqcuainted with the latest developments in the food processing field, in addition to contacting interested traders, in light of the volume of participation from different countries across the world, he noted.

He also expressed hope that the Jordanian participation in the five-day exhibition, at 150-square-meter pavilion, would contribute to achieving positive results, promoting the local industry and seeking to conclude commercial deals.

JEA, within its objectives, continues to provide services to industrialists from various sectors and help them find export markets for their products by participating in international exhibitions and holding workshops to to benefit from the advantages of trade agreements linking the Kingdom with international economic blocs.

In turn, JEA Director General, Halim Abu Rahma, said the association is constantly seeking to finding new markets by participating in specialized exhibitions, which contribute significantly to promoting Jordanian industrial products and concluding commercial deals.

He stressed the importance of providing continuous support to enable Jordanian companies to participate in foreign exhibitions, as a successful way to promote exports, enhance presence of Jordanian products and maintain momentum in export markets due to their “high quality and competitiveness.”

Abu Rahma said diversification of export markets is “very important” for Jordanian industrial exports, indicating that the association always seizes opportunities to be present in international economic forums, which is reflected in promoting Jordanian products.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates expressed its “deepest” condolences to the government and people of the United States over the victims of Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida and resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, and caused extensive material damage.

In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry’s official spokesperson Haitham Abu Al-Foul, affirmed the Kingdom’s solidarity with United States, expressing sincere condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a a speedy recovery.

The spokesperson also called on Jordanian citizens in Florida and the areas expected to be under its effect, the need to exercise caution and comply with public safety instructions issued by the US authorities.

In emergency and assistance situations, he said Jordanians need to contact the emergency phone number of the Kingdom’s embassy in Washington: 2022949522 or operations center at the ministry headquarters: 00962795497777.

Source: Jordan News Agency