AMMAN, Nov. 14 (Petra) – Head of the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Management Committee Mohammad Abu Odeh stated Saturday that the upcoming Jordan-EU Investment Conference presents a strategic opportunity to elevate bilateral ties from traditional trade exchange into long-term industrial and service-sector partnerships.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Abu Odeh noted that the forum will showcase over 40 investment opportunities valued at more than $15 billion, drawing over 700 international investors, business executives, and policymakers to forge direct business-to-business ventures.
Trade data underscores strengthening bilateral momentum. Over the first eight months of the current year, Jordanian exports to the European Union rose by 11.4 percent to roughly JD 411 million, up from JD 369 million during the same period last year. Conversely, imports from the bloc declined by 7 percent to JD 1.942 billion, narrowing Jordan's bilateral trade deficit to JD 1.531 billion.
Abu Odeh urged European firms to move beyond exporting finished goods to the local market and establish local manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and distribution operations with the Jordanian private sector to drive technology transfer, value addition, and job creation.
He added that the EU’s 3-billion-euro financial and investment partnership package for 2025–2027 provides vital backing for improving the business environment and financing high-yield, sustainable projects.
Highlighting Jordan's strategic location and free trade agreements, Abu Odeh invited European enterprises to utilize the Kingdom as a regional hub for warehousing, distribution, and supply chain management to access broader Arab and regional markets. He identified information technology, digital services, e-commerce, tourism, logistics, and financial services as high-potential sectors for European capital.
Bilateral trade in services reached approximately 1.8 billion euros in 2024, comprising 700 million euros in Jordanian service exports and 1.1 billion euros in European service imports, reflecting significant room for expansion.
Abu Odeh reaffirmed the ACC’s commitment to expanding direct channels with European chambers of commerce, organizing specialized trade missions, and addressing operational hurdles facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
//Petra// AA
