Jordan Economy Sector Research Highlights
OBG Global CEO survey 2020: Charting the risks and rewards faced by emerging markets
Oxford Business Group (OBG) began its CEO Survey in 2016 with the aim of giving our clients a handle on sentiment in the various markets we cover. Sentiment is of course intangible, but it is an all-important factor in the decisions business people and investors make when they weigh up their risk appetite. In turn, sentiment informs the level of confidence with which they view a market. It is also…
Jordan Economy Infographic 2016: Turning towards opportunity
Despite facing a set of extraordinary external and internal challenges over the past several years, the Jordanian economy remained resilient in 2015, with real GDP growth reaching 2.4% that year. The government is working with the IMF to implement fiscal reform policies, supported by low global oil prices, to reduce the kingdom’s fuel import bill, which should have seen GDP growth and major macroeconomic…
No turning back: preserving diversification gains amid rising oil prices
All eyes were understandably on Vienna at the end of June, and the gathering of oil ministers from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Their decision to increase output was endorsed by the non-OPEC producers who signed up to the original cuts 18 months ago. Oil prices are a thorny issue for the Gulf economies as their diversification strategies accelerate. On…
Jordan: Economic Snapshot 2018
Significant progress in implementing an IMF-backed reform agenda in 2016 marked a turning point for the economy, helping Jordan reduce its budget deficit and bring GDP growth in constant prices from a 25-year low of 2% in 2016 to 2.2% the following year. While the latter figure was still below target, the Jordan Economic Growth Plan 2018-22 aims to put the country back on track towards meeting its…
How are Jordanian CEOs interpreting the government’s budget reform efforts?
Jordan has been a bastion of stability in an otherwise volatile region. It largely escaped the Arab Spring and, despite economic difficulties, has enacted reforms to meet IMF assistance requirements. However, recent years have put increasing strain on the country’s finances, with a decline in its donations from Gulf Arab allies on the back of lower oil prices, as well as a huge influx of Syrian…
OBG Business Barometer: Jordan CEO Survey 2018
OBG Business Barometer: Jordan CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved. This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional…
Jordanian state strategies aim to foster renewable energy developmentOBGplus
In the June 2017 Jordan Economic Monitor report co-sponsored by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the World Bank reported that the country’s green energy segment holds considerable potential to reduce fiscal, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. In addition to the adoption of climate-friendly fiscal policies and greater mobilisation of climate finance, were recommendations…
Improving Jordan's rankings on international indices key to unlocking private investmentOBGplus
Private investment is an increasingly important part of the government’s development plans as public spending in some areas is reined in amid challenging internal and external conditions. To facilitate this, Jordan is undertaking measures to make its business environment more attractive to private sector players, and is therefore keeping a keen eye on its ranking in the World Bank’s “Doing Business”…
Jordan's budget given boost by higher tax revenuesOBGplus
Jordan has significantly reduced its fiscal deficit since it spiked to 10.3% of GDP in 2014. According to the IMF, the deficit fell to 5.3% of GDP in 2015 and to 3.2% in 2016, exceeding earlier predicted targets of 3.8%. The near-term outlook is even more positive, with the IMF forecasting that the figure would drop to 2.5% of GDP in 2017 and 0.4% in 2018. Debt instruments have played an important…