Tourism Jordan’s 2024 tourism revenue drops Jordan’s tourism revenues in the first nine months of 2024 fell by 4 percent year on year to $5.5 billion. The decline was attributed to a 7 percent drop in tourist numbers, state-run Petra reported, quoting data from the Central Bank of Jordan. Despite the overall decline, tourism income from Jordanian expatriates and Arab visitors […] October 14, 2024
Economy IMF gives Jordan access to $131m as reforms continue The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will grant Jordan access to $131 million as the country’s economic reform programme remains strong despite it facing a challenging external environment. The release of the funds remains subject to approval by the IMF’s management and executive board. “Jordan continues to show resilience and maintain macro-economic stability, despite the headwinds […] October 11, 2024
Opinion Logistics Conflict will severely disrupt Middle East logistics Air cargo is particularly hard hit by escalating conflict in the Middle East October 3, 2024
Analysis Tourism Gulf hospitality industry shrugs off war concerns Middle East hospitality veterans downplayed concerns over wider regional tensions this week, saying the industry has survived crises before and is poised to do so again. Government officials and corporate executives spoke during the Future Hospitality Summit, which is taking place in Dubai this week, just as military action intensified in Israel, Lebanon and Iran, […] October 3, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Jordan tourism down 7% to 4.2m visitors The number of visitors to Jordan fell 7 percent year on year to 4.2 million in the first eight months of 2024, official data reveals. However, Arab visiitors did increase, up 6 percent to 2.3 million tourists over the same period last year, Jordan Times reported, citing data from ministry of tourism and antiquities. Arab […] September 22, 2024
Economy Jordan’s growth to moderate this year but pick up by 2026 Jordan’s economic growth is expected to moderate to 2.3 percent this year due to the indirect impacts of the increase in regional tensions, which have hit investment and tourism numbers. However, the growth is expected to rebound toward 3 percent by 2026-2027 as the economy adapts to the initial shock of regional instability. “Authorities’ efforts […] September 9, 2024
Infrastructure UAE backs Jordan’s $2.3bn rail line for mining exports A new $2.3 billion railway project in Jordan, supported by the UAE, will help increase its mineral export capabilities. Construction tenders are slated to be issued in early 2026. Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE national railway network, and Jordan’s transport ministry have signed four agreements for the railway, which will connect […] September 5, 2024
Energy Jordan’s crude oil output drops by half in 2023 Jordan’s crude oil output suffered a 50 percent decline year on year in 2023, official data shows. Oil production fell to just below 44,000 barrels last year, from just below 95,000 barrels in 2022, the Jordan Times reported, quoting from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ annual report. However, natural gas production rose 14 […] August 27, 2024
Infrastructure Second phase of Jordan-Iraq power link to be ready in 2025 Jordan will complete the second phase of its electrical connection project with Iraq by the first quarter of 2025, its ministry of energy and mineral resources said in its 2023 annual report. The project is progressing as planned with ongoing civil and engineering work that includes supplying essential materials, circuit breakers, transformers and related equipment, […] August 27, 2024
Infrastructure Jordan selects preferred bidder for $3bn water project A consortium led by French investment firm Meridiam has been selected as the preferred bidder for Jordan’s $3.3 billion Aqaba Amman water desalination and conveyance project. The Meridiam-led group includes Orascom Construction, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Suez. Jordan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with its population facing absolute water scarcity, according […] August 22, 2024
Transport Gaza conflict hits passenger volume at Jordan’s airport The number of passengers at Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan fell 5 percent year on year to 5.1 million in the first seven months of this year, as a result of the ongoing Gaza conflict. Aircraft movement declined by 5 percent, while cargo volumes dropped 35 percent between January and July, Airport International Group, […] August 20, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Jordan Hotels profit drops amid regional conflict Jordan Hotels and Tourism Company reported a 23 percent decline in net profit for the second quarter of 2024 as a result of revenue decline amid conflict in Gaza. The company’s profit stood at JD247,123 ($348,703) in the April to June period compared with JD320,035 a year ago, Reuters reported, citing an Arabic disclosure on […] July 30, 2024
Tourism Investors to build 1,400 hotel rooms in Petra despite tourism slump Local investors are proceeding with plans to build 1,400 hotel rooms in Petra, a tourism official has said, as Jordan grapples with the impact of the Gaza conflict. Petra’s hotel occupancy rates tumbled to a record low of 3 percent last November and have remained in the single or the low double digits since then. […] July 8, 2024
Economy Jordan’s economy grows 2% despite regional challenges Jordan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024 despite regional geopolitical challenges, the state-run Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported. The extractive industries sector reported the highest growth at 6.3 percent, contributing 0.18 percent to GDP. Following this, the agriculture sector grew by 5.7 percent, the electricity […] July 8, 2024
People & Lifestyle World Bank to support Jordan’s social sectors The World Bank has approved $700 million programmes to support Jordan’s health, education and social assistance sectors. The $300 million Jordan human capital programme aims to improve the governance and effectiveness of social sectors, as well as safeguard households from the adverse effects of climate change. In addition, the $400 million Masar programme will equip […] July 2, 2024
Trade UAE’s ADQ to invest $5bn in Jordan’s economy Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ has completed plans to invest $5 billion in infrastructure and other projects in Jordan. ADQ has completed the formalities to set up the infrastructure investment fund company, Jordan’s ministry of investment said in a statement. This initiative is part of the agreement signed with the UAE during last year’s visit to […] May 21, 2024
Opinion Economy In times of conflict, spare a thought for the non-Gulf economies Confidence and growth have taken hits – but the tide is turning for some nations, if not all May 3, 2024
Trade Jordan’s exports rise 15% in Q1 despite regional unrest Jordan’s exports increased by more than 15 percent in the first quarter of the year despite the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the disruptions to maritime trade in the Red Sea. The country recorded “remarkable” growth in export value from January to March, according to the Amman Chamber of Industry. Export value rose to […] April 17, 2024
Tech Jordan’s digital game spend at $82m in 2023 The total amount spent on digital games in Jordan reached $82.5 million in 2023, official data has revealed. Nearly $17 million was allocated to paid games while $7.3 million was spent on live in-game purchases, state-run Jordan News Agency said, quoting the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (Intaj). Mobile games commanded the largest […] April 10, 2024
Analysis Economy Lebanon needs more than US rate cuts to turn its economy around Probable US interest rate cuts could help Jordan and Morocco attract additional foreign investments as well as easing their already manageable loan repayment commitments, experts predict, but Lebanon’s financial problems remain so acute that a reduced debt burden will make little difference. US 10-year treasury yields – the most important determinant of government borrowing conditions […] April 9, 2024
Education Mena reaches for tech to upgrade results in education Demand for education technology, or edtech, is growing in the Middle East and North Africa as countries seek to bolster learning to drive economic growth. However, experts warned against excessive use of technology in classrooms, saying it could affect the attainment of basic skills such as reading and writing. Examples of edtech include interactive whiteboards, […] April 8, 2024
Trade Israel’s trade with Arab countries up 16% in 2023 Trade between Israel and the seven Arab countries that have normalised relations with the Jewish state broke records in 2023, exceeding $4 billion, up 16 percent from 2022, according to a report. Bilateral trade among the nations decreased by only 4 percent following the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October, from $937 million […] April 5, 2024