Amman, Oct. 19 (Petra) Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan on Sunday evening attended the third annual "Jordanian Industry Day" celebration, organized by the Amman Chamber of Industry.
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister honored 100 local industrial companies that achieved major breakthroughs in exports or succeeded in opening new international markets for Jordanian industrial products.
Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply Yarub Qudah affirmed the government’s strong belief that the industrial sector is one of the key engines of economic growth in the Kingdom and a major source of sustainable job creation for Jordanians while enhancing national exports.
Qudah said Jordan’s industrial sector has demonstrated resilience and an ability to expand and grow despite challenges. He noted that the government is fully aware of the difficulties facing industrialists and is working to address them through its executive programs under the Economic Modernization Vision.
He added that the industrial sector contributed 40 percent of the 2.8 percent economic growth recorded in the first half of this year, while industrial exports rose by 8.5 percent during the first seven months.
Qudah pointed out that the sector employs more than 250,000 Jordanians and accounts for 90 percent of total national exports a clear indication of its vital role in supporting the economy and strengthening Jordan’s export standing.
He said the government is pressing ahead with strategic projects to reduce production costs for factories, particularly in energy, including supplying natural gas to five industrial cities, with plans to cover all industrial zones within three years.
He noted that the Industrial Support Fund has provided over JD65 million in financing to 630 industrial companies, enabling them to expand production, boost sales, and create jobs proof of the effectiveness of government support policies.
Qudah emphasized that the government will continue working in genuine partnership with the private sector to enhance the competitiveness and sustainable growth of Jordanian industry.
For his part, Fathi Al-Jaghbir, President of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, expressed appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his patronage of the Jordanian Industry Day, describing the industrial sector as a strategic pillar of Jordan’s economic resilience and prosperity.
Al-Jaghbir said the industrial sector is witnessing an exceptional phase of maturity and achievement, reflecting decades of steady progress guided by the King’s vision and a firm national will that recognizes industry as the cornerstone of sustainable development and inclusive growth.
He noted that since His Majesty assumed his constitutional powers, the sector has created tens of thousands of direct jobs and launched thousands of new industrial investments, bringing the total number of industrial establishments to about 18,000.
Al-Jaghbir commended the King’s efforts to attract investment and promote Jordan’s exports globally, positioning the Kingdom as a regional hub for high-value strategic industries.
He added that Jordan’s industrial sector has evolved from quantity-based production to innovation-driven manufacturing, becoming a foundation for the modern economy. Over the past two decades, Jordan has advanced in the UN Industrial Development Organization’s competitiveness index, with a noticeable improvement in global ranking.
He said industry remains the top contributor to GDP among Arab countries, accounting directly for about 25 percent and contributing 40 percent of total economic growth last year.
Al-Jaghbir highlighted the sector’s structural transformation, with medium- and high-tech industries now making up 25 percent of total value-added up from 10 percent two decades ago thanks to advanced production lines, modern management, and the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence and renewable energy as part of the Economic Modernization Vision.
He noted that Jordanian industrial exports now reach over 150 markets worldwide, growing by 39 percent in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
This growth, he said, is not only quantitative but qualitative marked by product diversification and innovation in pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, chemicals, apparel, and food industries, making the "Made in Jordan" label a symbol of quality and trust regionally and internationally.
Al-Jaghbir pointed out that the share of foreign labor in the sector has declined by 40 percent in favor of Jordanian workers due to training and capacity-building programs run by the Chamber in cooperation with national institutions, including the Ministry of Labor. Women now make up 30 percent of the industrial workforce, he added.
He stressed that Jordan’s highly skilled and digitally capable youth are a key asset in attracting investment and enhancing competitiveness, with the Kingdom ranked 20th globally in skilled labor and showing marked progress in digital expertise.
New industrial investments benefiting from the Investment Law have reached JD2 billion over the past three years, representing 75 percent of all such investments, Al-Jaghbir noted.
He added that the industrial sector led growth on the Amman Stock Exchange with a 42 percent rise, accounting for about 40 percent of the total market capitalization evidence of investor confidence and solid operational performance.
"What has been achieved over the past two decades is not the end of the journey, but a launchpad toward a new era of smart manufacturing and green transformation," Al-Jaghbir said, noting that the sector is moving steadily toward greater integration of technology and sustainability. This shift, through renewable energy investment, AI applications, and circular manufacturing, is expected to reduce dependence on imported energy by 20 percent by 2030.
He concluded by stressing the collective responsibility to sustain the spirit of entrepreneurship and build on past achievements to create one million new jobs by 2033, inspired by His Majesty’s vision for a strong, self-reliant national industry driving Jordan’s economic renaissance into its second centennial.
//Petra// AF
