Amman, Jan. 26 (Petra) - Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said 2026 will be a pivotal year for the Jordanian economy, with the launch of a package of major investment projects worth more than JD10 billion under the Economic Modernization Vision, to be implemented over the next three years across various sectors.
He made the remarks during a high-level dialogue session held at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Monday to highlight Jordan’s investment environment. The session was attended by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, Jordan’s Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Jordanian Mission to the European Union Yousef Bataineh, as well as representatives of European business associations, financial institutions, and private companies.
Qudah said the comprehensive strategic partnership between Jordan and the European Union has embodied Europe’s commitment to supporting the Jordanian economy and translating about 1.4 billion euros in investments into reality. He stressed that Jordanian-European relations are not circumstantial but are built on trust and shared responsibility.
He explained that the meeting in Brussels represents an important step toward strengthening the partnership and turning it into tangible, practical action. He emphasized Jordan’s readiness to move forward with the European Union "step by step, market by market, and generation by generation" to achieve resilience, prosperity, and partnership.
Qudah noted that the Economic Modernization Vision, launched in 2022, has contributed to the implementation of about 90% of the action plan over the past three years, while maintaining inflation stability, increasing gross domestic product, and recording a 30% rise in foreign direct investment in 2025.
He pointed out that the performance of the Amman financial market last year returned Jordan to the "golden era of capital markets," while the network of free trade agreements, most notably the 1997 Association Agreement with the European Union, has provided major investment opportunities in Arab and international markets, including the United States and Canada.
He added that Jordan serves as a main gateway for reconstruction operations in Syria, while the Iraqi market has become the third-largest destination for Jordanian exports. He said Jordan’s exports to Syria jumped by 400% last year, recording a record level in forty years.
The meeting followed the European Union-Jordan summit held on Jan. 8, attended by Ministers Toukan and Abu Ghazaleh and Ambassador Bataineh, and representatives of the European Commission, European business institutions, and the private sector, within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Jordan and the European Union.
//Petra// AF
