Category: Affairs

Amman, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Sudani Thursday received a Jordanian delegation that comprised the Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and the Minister of Labour, Yousef Shammali, and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Kharabsheh.

According to a statement, the meeting discussed the development of cooperation between Iraq and Jordan in industry and economic partnership and ways to develop integration to enable the countries to face global economic challenges and crises and their local and regional impacts.

Shammali and Kharabsheh expressed Jordan’s keenness to raise the level of cooperation with Iraq in all fields to maximise the benefit from the available opportunities and agreements signed between the two countries.

Sudani, in turn, noted the “importance” of moving forward with efforts to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman, A Jordanian economic delegation concluded a working visit to the Netherlands, during which it discussed enhancing bilateral economic relations and available investment opportunities to serve the national economy.

The visit organized by the Jordan Europe Business Association (JEBA), in cooperation with the Dutch Embassy in Amman and the Netherlands-Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Business Council (NMBC).

The delegation, chaired by JEBA Chairman Ali Murad, included holding bilateral meetings with a number of Dutch institutions, field visits to some companies and factories, and a meeting with the Jordanian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Daifallah Al-Fayez.

The delegation included companies specialized in food, plastics, raw materials, chemicals, water treatment, wastewater and energy sectors.

The Kingdom’s exports to the Netherlands amounted to JD73 million from the beginning of this year until the end of August, compared to JD136 million for imports.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Public Sector Modernisation, Nasser Shraideh on Wednesday received Chris Backemeyer, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Assistance Coordination and Regional and Multilateral Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and the accompanying delegation.

In the meeting, attended by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Toukan, Shraideh lauded the Jordanian-American strategic partnership and expressed keenness to enhance them in various fields.

He also commended the US support to Jordan and its importance in helping Jordan drive the development process and facing economic challenges.

He pointed out that the government is working on setting up the executive program for the economic modernization vision and its priorities, which aims to promote economic growth and unleash economic potentials that generate jobs and employment opportunities.

Shraideh spoke about impacts of the Syrian refugee crisis on the Kingdom, which put pressure on many sectors and infrastructure, urging the international community to continue supporting Jordan to keep providing basic needs of Syrian refugees.

He noted that the public sector modernisation plan aims to raise the efficiency of public administration, build institutional capacities, streamline and upgrade procedures, which will be reflected in the level of services provided to citizens.

Shraideh highlighted key projects that Jordan intends to implement, including the national water carrier project, which will contribute to meeting Jordan’s growing water needs.

For his part, the US official said that Jordan is a US strategic partner, emphasizing on the depth of bilateral cooperation with Jordan.

He also underlined the United States’ continued support to the Kingdom.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman, Banks operating in Jordan agreed to postpone individual loan installments for December (the end of the current month), without any installment delay commissions.

This initiative is part of the banks’ social responsibility and their keenness to launch mitigation initiatives to enable citizens overcome financial challenges, the Association of Banks in Jordan (ABJ) said Wednesday in a statement.

Also, this initiative is part of the banks’ developmental and stimulating role for the Jordanian economy by providing sufficient liquidity to citizens, which encourages an increase in demand, stimulates markets and improves the economy in general, the statement added.

The ABJ called on bank clients who do not wish to postpone installments to inform their respective banks of their wish.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman, Head of Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), Fathi Jaghbir, said the continued truck disruption will negatively affect Jordanian industrial exports, which have achieved “significant” growth since the beginning of 2022.

A survey conducted by Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) showed that 160 industrial companies have 1,200 production input containers stuck in Aqaba to date and nearly 750 containers are awaiting transportation for export purposes, Jaghbir said in a statement on Wednesday.

Calling on securing transport operations, he noted an exporter-importer mechanism according to fair priorities is necessary to ensure restoring activity of local supply chains and avoid disruption reoccurrence in the future.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Head of the Kenyan economic delegation participating in the Jordanian-Kenyan Economic Forum, Ansemus Masindi, said Kenyan businesspeople affirmed feasibility of investing in Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA)’S free zone.

During a field visit to QAIA’s free zone on Tuesday, the Kenyan official called on signing a cooperation agreement between Jordan Free and Development Zones Group (JFDZ) and Watra Africa, the continent’s leading trade and investment promotion advisory agency.

He also expressed desire of the Kenyan businesspeople participating in the forum to make QAIA’s free zone as a major distribution center for the region’s countries to deliver foodstuffs such as Kenyan tea, and store and trade fruits Equatorial fruits.

The businesspeople also hope to establish a regional office in QAIA’s free zone to enhance joint cooperation, he pointed out.

For his part, JFDZ Investment Promotion Director, Amjad Wedyan, presented the key QAIA free zone’s investor incentives, pointing to its “ideal and distinguished” environment to launch various economic activities, due to its regulatory and procedural facilitations, and available investment opportunities.

The Kenyan delegates visit to QAIA’s free zone aimed to lean about its various investment opportunities and “successful” investor stories in various industrial, commercial and service activities, according to a JFDZ statement.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordanian expatriates’ remittances in the first ten months of 2022 stood at some $2.829 billion, a 0.6 per cent increase compared with the same period of 2021, the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) said on Tuesday.

CBJ figures for October alone showed that remittances amounted to $290.4 million, a 2.8 increase compared with the same month of 2021.

expatriates’ remittances are one of the pillars feeding the Foreign Exchange Reserves, which reached $16 billion at the end of October, and its coverage rate for imports is high, amounting to 8.3 months.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Kingdom’s tourism income increased during the first eleven months of 2022 by 115% to reach $5.3 billion, compared to the same period last year.

This growth was a result of the increase in the number of tourists flocking the Kingdom by about 2.4 million, totalling 4.6 million, according to the latest data issued by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ).

Volume on tourist spending outside the Kingdom soared to $1.351 billion during the first eleven months of 2022, marking an increase of 60.8% over the corresponding period in 2021, as a result of the hike in the number of Jordanian tourists travelling abroad, CBJ figures showed.

On a monthly level, tourism income soared during November 2022, compared to the corresponding month in 2021 by 50.3% to reach $514 million.

November’s growth came due to the increase in the number of tourists coming to Jordan by about 148,000, compared to the same month in 2021 to total 450.7 thousand, which is the highest number of tourists during November since 2013.

At the same time, the data showed an increase in tourism spending outside the Kingdom during November 2022 by 17.2%, compared to the same month 2021 to reach $109.7 million, as a result of the increase of tourists travelling abroad by 17.1%.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Investment Minister Kholoud Saqqaf voiced the ministry’s interest in attracting Irish investments to the Jordanian market.

In a meeting with Ambassador of Ireland to Jordan, Marianne Bolger, Saqqaf expressed its ministry’s readiness to inform Irish companies on the Jordanian market, and provide them with relevant economic data.

In the meeting, held to discuss Irish investment opportunities in the Kingdom, Saqqaf said that there are promising and competitive investment opportunities that meets the ambition of investors from Ireland, such as information technology, industry, health, agriculture and services.

She underlined the importance of exchanging meetings and visits between private sector actors in both countries, with the aim of developing economic and investment relations and increasing Jordanian exports to the Irish and European markets, as Jordan constitute a gateway to entering the region’s markets due to its geographical location, in addition to several free trade agreements, signed by Jordan, under which products can reach more than 1.5 billion consumers.

Saqqaf added that the Ministry of Investment is the main reference for investment in the Kingdom, and aims to attract, encourage and promote investments, as well as maintaining the attractive investment climate, and enhancing confidence in investment environment, develop and regulate it.

Ambassador Bolger reaffirmed her country’s keenness to continue building on the distinguished relations with the Kingdom, especially in the economic field.

She also commended the economic reforms undertaken by the Jordanian government, and highlighted the distinguished Irish experience in attracting foreign direct investment.

Source: Jordan News Agency

For their part, members of the Jordanian ministerial delegation introduced a number of proposed issues, files and projects that would deepen bilateral cooperation in the fields of industry, trade exchange, investment, transportation, roads, energy, water, customs and others.

The ministers expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support to Jordan in various circumstances and conditions, and its contributions to support the Jordanian economy and implement development and investment projects, which reflect the deep and strong relations between the two brotherly countries and the constant keenness of their wise leaderships to maintain them in this distinguished framework.

The Saudi ministerial delegation reaffirmed the Saudi keenness to strengthen fraternal and strategic relations with Jordan in various fields, and their support for it to overcome economic challenges and support its reform and development march.

They also expressed great interest in the proposals and projects of partnership and cooperation put forward by the Jordanian ministerial delegation, stressing their importance in enhancing the level of bilateral cooperation and serving the common interests of the two brotherly countries and peoples, and their keenness to overcome any obstacles or hurdles that prevent mutual benefit from them.

The two sides agreed to expedite the study of the proposed memorandums of understanding between the two countries in many fields in preparation for signing them during the next meetings of the Jordanian-Saudi joint committee to be held in Riyadh.

The Saudi side also promised to study the request of the Jordanian side on exempting Jordanian trucks passing (transit) through Saudi territory from the operational life condition of twenty years.

The volume of trade exchange between Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached nearly JD3 billion during 2021, and it grew during the first nine months of this year by 35% compared to the same period last year, while Saudi investments in the Kingdom are among the highest, with an estimated value of $12 billion.

Source: Jordan News Agency