Seeing economic modernization as a top national priority
Political and economic stability is a pillar for attracting investments
Economic experts unanimously agreed that His Majesty the King’s assertion that the national economy has proven its ability to confront and overcome crises efficiently is based on clear economic facts and indicators. Over the past years, Jordan has been able to maintain its monetary and financial stability despite the successive geopolitical and economic crises the region has witnessed.
In interviews with Al-Rai, experts pointed out that His Majesty’s talk about the importance of stability as a main factor for attracting investments reflects one of Jordan’s most important competitive advantages. The Kingdom has succeeded in consolidating its image as an oasis of political, security and economic stability in a region suffering from high levels of uncertainty, which constitutes a decisive factor in the decisions of local and international investors.
During his meeting with economic figures on Monday, His Majesty King Abdullah II stressed that the national economy has proven its ability to confront and overcome crises efficiently.
During the meeting held at Al-Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty pointed out that Jordan, despite the region’s turmoil, has consolidated its stability and strategic position, adding that the Kingdom’s stability constitutes an important factor for attracting investments.
His Majesty the King pointed to the development stage that Jordan is witnessing, the technological developments, and the tireless efforts to implement the vision of economic modernization and the projects and initiatives it includes that contribute to stimulating investment and providing job opportunities.
His Majesty stressed the importance of enhancing local participation in implementing major projects, and adopting a participatory approach based on communicating with experts and benefiting from their experiences in this context.
The meeting discussed developments in the region, as His Majesty the King stressed the need to benefit from the opportunities provided by future regional connectivity projects, because of their role in enhancing economic cooperation and integration with countries in the region and the world.
For their part, the attendees spoke about economic opportunities and challenges locally and regionally, the role of fiscal and monetary policies in enhancing economic stability, and the importance of employing technology to empower youth for the future.
The meeting was attended by the Director of His Majesty the King’s Office, Engineer Alaa Al-Batayneh.
The head of the Zarqa Chamber of Industry, Engineer Fares Hamouda, confirmed that His Majesty the King’s speech about the Jordanian economy was focused and an indicator of the national economy’s ability to withstand crises, as the national economy has become characterized by flexibility and the ability to transform crises into opportunities.
Hamouda also confirmed His Majesty the King’s statement that “the Kingdom’s stability is an important factor for attracting investments,” through the Kingdom’s strategic position on the global level, which His Majesty the King had the primary credit for consolidating through diplomatic and economic activity at the regional and global levels.
Hamouda stated that His Majesty the King focused his speech on the important outcomes of the economic modernization vision and the initiatives and projects it included that focused on stimulating the economy and supporting sectors with high added value, in a way that contributes to supporting the economy and providing job opportunities for the people of the country.
Hamouda also stressed the importance of the regional projects discussed by His Majesty, which contribute to enhancing economic integration and cooperation with countries of the world and the region, which has a beneficial effect on the national economy.
Hamouda also added that the Hashemite vision and wisdom, since His Majesty King Abdullah II assumed his constitutional powers, have contributed to signing international agreements and attracting qualitative investments that have enabled the Jordanian economy to diversify sources of power and reduce risks, and have proven their effectiveness during global and regional changes and circumstances.
In his comment on the statements of His Majesty King Abdullah II during his meeting with economic figures yesterday, in which he affirmed that the Jordanian economy has proven its ability to overcome crises and withstand successive regional and international challenges, economic expert Wajdi Makhamreh indicated that these statements reflect a tangible reality and are supported by official numbers and indicators, and that they are not just optimism at the political level, but rather a realistic assessment of the resilience of the Jordanian economy, with His Majesty indicating that the economy’s continued ability to overcome crises requires accelerating structural reforms. To achieve deeper and more comprehensive growth.
Makhamra also added that the Jordanian economy is characterized by a remarkable ability to deal with external shocks. In 2025, the real gross domestic product achieved growth of approximately 2.8%, supported by the agriculture, manufacturing, services and tourism sectors. Estimates for 2026 also expect growth close to 2.9%.
He pointed out that Jordan enjoys strong foreign reserves that recently exceeded $27.5 billion, low inflation compared to other countries, and a stable Jordanian dinar linked to the dollar, which reflects a wise monetary policy from the Central Bank of Jordan.
He added that there is an improvement in some external indicators, such as an increase in exports, a gradual recovery in the tourism sector, and an increase in remittances from workers from abroad. The Amman Financial Market also recorded a good performance, and the market index rose above the level of 4000 points.
Makhamra also pointed out that there has been tangible progress in the vision of economic modernization in light of the adoption of the second executive program for the years 2026-2029, the signing of additional trade agreements, renewable energy projects, and efforts to attract foreign direct investment, as these efforts have begun to bear fruit in sectors such as technology, logistics, and export industries.
Makhamra stated that His Majesty pointed out that these elements mentioned prove that Jordan has succeeded in maintaining stability as a strategic capital, which makes it a relatively safe destination in a turbulent region.
Makhamra added that the economy still faces fundamental obstacles that prevent it from achieving its full potential, represented by high unemployment rates, which is the largest social problem witnessed by Jordan, especially among young people, and reflects the inadequacy of current growth in creating new job opportunities.
Add to this the high proportion of public debt, which exceeds 118% of the GDP, with the continued government budget deficit amounting to about 5% of the GDP, which limits the government’s ability to spend development spending and increases dependence on external financing.
Makhamra also pointed out that the Jordanian economy is sensitive to geopolitical shocks, and relies heavily on foreign aid, remittances, and foreign investments. The business environment still needs improvement, and emphasis must be placed on vocational training, combating bureaucracy, and stimulating private investment to become the main driver of growth.
He pointed out that His Majesty the King’s statements open the door to a new phase of serious implementation, as His Majesty stressed accelerating the implementation of the economic modernization vision, especially in priority sectors such as information technology, tourism, agriculture, green energy, and logistics.
He stated that the labor market must be reformed through intensive training programs, incentives to employ youth and women, and greater flexibility in labor legislation. In addition, adjusting public finances, gradually reducing the deficit, restructuring subsidies, increasing non-tax revenues, and improving collections.
He added that international partnerships must be strengthened and agreements with the European Union, the United Arab Emirates and the United States must be exploited to attract large investments.
Financial and economic expert Dr. Muhammad Al-Haddab confirmed that the meeting held by His Majesty King Abdullah II with a number of economic figures represents a very important economic message at a precise time, and reflects His Majesty’s keenness to continue direct dialogue with experts and economic actors to ensure the success of the path of economic modernization and its transformation into tangible results on the ground.
Al-Haddab pointed out that His Majesty the King’s assertion that the national economy has proven its ability to confront and overcome crises efficiently is based on clear economic facts and indicators. Over the past years, Jordan has been able to maintain its monetary and financial stability despite the successive geopolitical and economic crises the region has witnessed, starting with the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, through regional crises, wars, and the disruption of global supply chains.
Al-Haddab explained that the Central Bank of Jordan’s foreign currency reserves exceeded $22 billion, which is one of the highest levels in the history of the Kingdom, and is sufficient to cover the Kingdom’s imports for many months, while the Jordanian dinar maintained its stability and strength, which strengthened confidence in the national economy and protected the Kingdom from the fluctuations of global markets.
He added that national exports achieved historic levels during the year 2025, reaching about 9.6 billion dinars, while total exports and re-exports exceeded 10.6 billion dinars, equivalent to more than 15 billion dollars, which reflects the ability of the Jordanian product to compete and access global markets despite the difficult regional conditions.
Al-Haddab stated that His Majesty the King’s speech about the importance of stability as a main factor for attracting investments reflects one of Jordan’s most important competitive advantages. The Kingdom has succeeded in consolidating its image as an oasis of political, security and economic stability in a region suffering from high levels of uncertainty, which constitutes a decisive factor in the decisions of local and international investors.
Al-Haddab stressed that recent years have witnessed an influx of qualitative investments in the sectors of mining, renewable energy, pharmaceutical industries, logistics services, and technology, noting that the economic modernization vision aims to attract investments worth billions of dinars in the coming years, raise economic growth rates, and create job opportunities for Jordanian youth.
He pointed out that His Majesty the King’s focus on implementing the economic modernization vision reflects a firm conviction that the next stage is the stage of economy, productivity and competitiveness, especially since the vision includes dozens of initiatives and projects aimed at raising economic growth and providing nearly a million job opportunities until 2033, in addition to increasing the contribution of productive sectors to the gross domestic product.
Al-Haddab explained that His Majesty the King’s call to enhance local participation in the implementation of major projects carries important economic dimensions, as increasing the local content in national projects contributes to maximizing the economic impact of investments, increases the contribution of Jordanian companies, provides additional job opportunities, and enhances the transfer of knowledge and expertise to national cadres.
He added that one of the most prominent messages included in the royal meeting was the emphasis on the importance of benefiting from future regional connectivity projects, especially in the fields of transport, energy, trade and logistics services, as Jordan enjoys a strategic location that qualifies it to be a regional center linking the markets of the Gulf, the Arab Levant and Europe.
Al-Haddab stressed that regional connectivity projects represent a great economic opportunity for the Kingdom, not only by increasing trade and investment, but also by enhancing Jordan’s role as a center for logistics, storage, re-export, and energy, which is consistent with the strategic objectives of the economic modernization vision.
He also pointed out that the attendees’ focus during the meeting on technology and youth empowerment reflects a growing awareness of the importance of the digital economy in the next stage, especially since Jordan has a qualified human base and entrepreneurial companies that have succeeded in reaching regional and global markets, which makes investment in technology and innovation one of the most important engines of future growth.
Al-Haddab concluded by saying that His Majesty the King’s meeting with economic figures confirms that Jordan is entering a new phase called enhancing growth, investment and productivity, based on elements of real strength represented in political and monetary stability, strong foreign reserves, rising exports, continuing economic reforms, and a clear royal vision that places the economy, job opportunities and investment at the top of national priorities.
