Amman, Oct. 7 (Petra) -- Jordan is seeking to leverage its extensive free trade network, mineral resources and transport infrastructure to build stronger regional value chains and advance joint industries capable of competing in global markets, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah said.

Speaking at the Made in Gulf 2026 Forum and Exhibition in Bahrain, Qudah said Jordan had expanded its free trade agreements to overcome the limitations of its domestic market and establish a stronger production base.

He said agreements with the United Kingdom, European Union, United States and Canada, together with the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, offer a competitive advantage that could be harnessed to support regional industrial integration, subject to rules of origin and other eligibility requirements.

Qudah made the remarks during a panel on "Industrial Integration and Regional Value Chains" at the forum, which runs from October 6 to 8.

He said regional countries could combine their raw materials, financial resources and industrial capabilities to develop high-value joint ventures, shifting the focus from self-sufficiency and industrial localization toward global competitiveness.

With competition among major economic powers increasingly centered on rare minerals, semiconductors and high-value industries, Qudah said the region has the resources and financing capacity to build specialized production chains based on the comparative advantages of individual countries.

As one potential model, he proposed developing a regional industry around Jordan's silica reserves, starting with purification and the production of high-purity silicon before moving into silicon wafer manufacturing.

Later stages of production could be distributed among countries according to their industrial strengths, creating an integrated chain encompassing semiconductors, computers, solar cells and panels, as well as silica-based fiber optics.

Qudah said Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait could participate in such partnerships by combining raw materials, financing, expertise and specialized manufacturing capabilities.

Building these industries could also strengthen the region's role in data and related technologies as global investment in the sector accelerates, he added.

Qudah cited food production as another area suited to regional integration, with investment from regional countries supporting Jordanian agriculture and agricultural output feeding into food manufacturing elsewhere in the region. Such a model, he said, would connect agriculture, manufacturing and exports while increasing regional added value.

He also highlighted transport and logistics as a central component of industrial integration, saying recent disruptions have demonstrated the need for interconnected supply chains and alternative routes that can keep trade moving when individual corridors are interrupted.

Aqaba Port is operating above its capacity, with about 70% of its activity serving the wider region, Qudah said, noting that a significant volume of Gulf-bound goods passes through the port.

He pointed to the planned railway linking Aqaba Port with Jordan's phosphate and potash mines as an initial building block for regional supply-chain integration. The line could later connect with the Maan dry port, while a subsequent national railway network would extend northward to the Syrian border.

Such infrastructure could ultimately connect with Gulf and regional railway systems, creating a broader transport network linking the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Levant with outlets on the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and the ocean, he said.

Qudah said a multi-route regional network would strengthen the resilience of regional economies and supply chains and reduce their vulnerability to external disruptions.

The panel also brought together Bahrain's Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, AD Ports Group CEO for Economic Cities and Free Zones Abdullah Al Hameli, and Foulath Holding Chairman Mishari Al-Judaimi.

//Petra// RZ