Amman, Nov. 11 (Petra) -- Jordanian business leaders say the Jordan–EU Investment Conference could help turn investment opportunities into production projects, technology partnerships, and jobs, as its success will be measured by the projects and capital flows that follow.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), these tycoons said changes in global supply chains and production networks offer Jordan an opportunity to attract European investment and expand its role as a regional base for manufacturing, services, and technology transfer.
This group said the conference could deepen investment ties through knowledge sharing and an expanded production base, supporting the Economic Modernization Vision, viewing European participation as a sign of confidence in Jordan’s economy and its ability to integrate into international supply chains.
Irbid Chamber of Industry President Hani Abu Hassan said the conference’s focus on specific investment opportunities, direct partnerships between Jordanian and European companies, and projects ready for implementation distinguishes it from general investment promotion events.
Jordanian industry has several competitive strengths, he said, including a diverse production base, product quality, skilled workers, and a network of free trade agreements.
As for future vision, Abu Hassan said the next phase of investment should prioritize industrial projects that transfer technology, develop domestic value chains, expand exports, and create jobs.
He said manufacturers across Jordan, including in Irbid, could use European partnerships to improve their production and technological capabilities and attract investment, particularly in advanced, green, and higher-value industries.
The conference comes as economic and geopolitical shifts reshape global production and supply chains, he added. These changes could help Jordan attract European investment and strengthen its position as an industrial base serving regional and international markets.
Abu Hassan said the conference reflects international confidence in Jordan’s investment environment, citing the country’s security, stability, and strategic location under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
Meanwhile, businessman Ali Murad, director general of Leaders Center, said holding the conference at the Dead Sea signals European political and economic confidence in Jordan’s stability and growth potential amid regional uncertainty.
He said the conference would present more than 40 investment opportunities worth over $ 15 billion across sectors including water, energy, and industry.
As international companies reassess production locations and supply chains, Murad said, Jordan has an opportunity to position itself as a base for production, services, and exports. This could strengthen its role in European value chains in industry, technology, logistics, and knowledge transfer.
He described the conference as a "practical" step in implementing the Jordan–EU comprehensive strategic partnership by bringing together policymakers, financing institutions, and Jordanian and European companies.
Business meetings and discussions would allow Jordan’s private sector to pursue partnerships that bring expertise, increase the value of local production, and open new markets, with potential benefits for employment, exports, and domestic suppliers, he said.
Murad added that the conference’s impact would become clearer in the following months, depending on whether the opportunities produce operating projects, capital inflows, and lasting jobs that improve incomes.
Rami Saheb, founder and chairman of Alhadaf International Compant, called for clear, practical priorities to ensure the conference delivers results. Its success, he said, should be assessed by outcomes on the ground.
He identified opportunities for European investment in sectors aligned with the Economic Modernization Vision, including industry, technology, the digital economy, renewable energy, water, transport, logistics, tourism, and higher-value manufacturing that supports exports and employment.
Bringing policymakers, officials, financing institutions, and investors together would allow discussions to move from broad dialogue to specific projects, financing options, and feasible joint investments, Saheb said.
He added that Jordan could present itself to European investors as both a domestic market and a gateway to regional markets, drawing on its location, free trade agreements, updated business legislation and procedures, institutional stability, and international relationships.
Saheb said the conference could support longer-term investment partnerships based on shared interests, knowledge transfer, and expanded production.
Maha Sharif, executive director of GravityZone DrugStore Company, said investment should extend beyond capital to include knowledge transfer, access to technology and advanced treatments, and partnerships that benefit the economy and public health.
She identified pharmaceuticals as a sector that could benefit from closer cooperation with European companies and manufacturers, particularly through easier access to biological medicines and innovative treatments for cancer and rare diseases.
Such cooperation could expand treatment options for Jordanian patients and improve access to the latest therapies, she said.
Sharif also highlighted opportunities to exchange expertise and transfer technology, alongside cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, registration, and supply. These partnerships could strengthen Jordan’s medicine supply security and support its role as a regional pharmaceutical hub.
She said the conference’s emphasis on translating investor discussions into partnerships and projects could create jobs and improve the competitiveness of productive sectors.
Sharif added that holding the event at this stage offers an opportunity to build a sustained economic partnership between Jordan and the European Union, alongside promoting individual investment projects.
//Petra// AO
