Garments, accessories and textiles trade has been one of the kingdom’s great success stories, with exports continuing to grow despite the global economic slowdown and enduring regional challenges. Industry players hope that the years ahead will see a major breakthrough in trade with the EU, a development that will not only be good for Jordan’s economy, but will also provide some relief for some…
The retail sector has shown consistent growth in recent years, with the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) estimating its contribution to GDP at JD1.13bn ($1.6bn) in 2015. This figure is from a GDP of JD11.4bn ($15.5bn), or around 10% of the overall total. Retail is also a major source of employment. The Department of Statistics (DoS) recorded 173,179 private sector employees in the services, shops and market…
The industrial sector continues to show growth. Phosphates and potash, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and textiles and garments all continued to expand in terms of both net profits and volume in 2015. The fact that these segments have grown in the face of global economic headwinds and in a region directly affected by major geopolitical tensions demonstrates the sector’s resilience and ability to…
What do you identify as the main obstacles holding Jordanian industry back from moving up the value chain? SALIM KARADSHEH: Industry in Jordan is facing a number of challenges, which is impacting its performance. On the local level, energy is the main challenge. However, I believe that the government is taking steps towards resolving this issue for the sector. Regionally, the turbulence in many…
As the seventh-largest producer of potash in the world, Jordan is producing around 2m tonnes per annum of this vital fertiliser ingredient. The country is also home to one of the world’s largest phosphate rock sectors, making minerals extraction one of the country’s top industrial sectors and a major support for the Jordanian economy. Global competition has increased in the past decade, with the…
Interview:Brent Heimann How have electricity and water tariff increases — both important inputs for the sector — affected Jordanian industry? BRENT HEIMANN: The increase of these tariffs has had different effects on the various companies within the industry sector. With regard to potash, the production process is intensive in its use of water and energy. In 2014, the cost of energy and…
On the back of 2014, when a major expansion in mall supply was executed in Jordan’s capital city, Amman, the kingdom’s organised retail sector has continued to move forward. Meanwhile, sustained economic and population growth have also meant increasing demand. In the food and beverage segment, traditional retail has held its ground in a cost-sensitive market. According to Nabil Rassam, Chairman…
Producing a diverse range of industrial goods, from phosphates to processed food and packaging to steel billets, Jordan’s industrial sector is a mainstay of the nation’s economy. The country’s location, supported by myriad free trade agreements (FTAs) offering access to 1.5bn consumers, enables the kingdom to be a strategic trade route to many of its neighbouring countries and regions, and businesses…
Jordan’s industrial sector remains a central pillar of the kingdom’s economy with manufacturing contributing $6bn to the country’s estimated nominal GDP of $35.7bn in 2014. Meanwhile the country’s large mining industry – particularly of potash and phosphate – have fueled the rise of major chemicals and fertiliser industries in the kingdom while the country’s robust building materials…
Industry is one of the mainstays of the Jordanian economy with the sector producing roughly one fifth of the country’s GDP and employing around one tenth of Jordanians. The success of Jordan’s current strategy to build higher-value-added industries is reflected in the pharmaceutical sector, which has leveraged both the high standard of human resources in the country and the availability of local…
