- Investment Minister: Government focus shifts toward turning policies and opportunities into productive projects and jobs - 327 projects receive incentives and exemptions, with expected investment of JD711.2 million - Development zone investments rise 18.79% to nearly JD6.9 billion - 65 investors granted Jordanian citizenship linked to JD72.3 million in investment - Investment opportunities listed on Invest in Jordan platform increase to 120 Amman, Sept. 15 (Petra) -- Investment activity accelerated across several indicators in the first half of 2026, led by an 18.79 percent increase in development zone investments to nearly JD6.9 billion and a sharp rise in the value of new projects entering the zones, according to the Ministry of Investment’s semiannual performance report.
The report showed that 327 new, expanding and developing projects benefited from incentives and exemptions during the six-month period, with expected future investment of approximately JD711.2 million. That compared with 308 projects in the first half of 2025.
Investment Minister Tareq Abu Ghazaleh said the results reflect a shift under the second phase of the Economic Modernization Vision for 2026-2029 from building regulatory and legislative frameworks toward implementation and measurable economic impact.
He said the ministry’s approach is centered on turning investment policies and opportunities into productive projects and supporting investors throughout the project cycle, from establishment and licensing to operation and expansion.
"The success of investment efforts is measured by results on the ground and by what investments add to the national economy in terms of production, exports and sustainable jobs," Abu Ghazaleh said.
Investment facilitation transactions increased to 3,801 in the first half from 2,992 a year earlier. These included new investment decisions, exemptions, follow-up procedures and aftercare services. The ministry also completed 3,153 follow-up transactions and issued 260 Jordanian certificates of origin.
The ministry has prepared a unified guide for incentives and exemptions and is developing an electronic system covering exempt fixed assets and production inputs in development zones, as part of efforts to make procedures clearer and reduce the time and cost of doing business.
Development zones recorded some of the strongest growth during the period. Total investment increased from approximately JD5.819 billion to nearly JD6.9 billion, while employment rose from around 117,000 to almost 123,000 jobs.
Newly registered projects in the zones increased to 46 from 27 in the first half of 2025. Their expected investment value climbed to JD402 million from around JD60 million, with the projects expected to create 1,841 jobs once they enter implementation and operation.
The Kingdom has 20 development zones hosting 1,676 projects and companies across industries targeted for investment, innovation and higher-value economic activity.
Efforts to speed up construction and operation included introducing a fast-track system for building permits and occupancy approvals. The ministry said it became the first regulatory authority in the Kingdom to implement the procedure.
The average time required for building permits was reduced to around four days from seven to 15 working days, while project planning documents can now be issued within one working day.
Licensed space inside development zones consequently rose nearly 30 percent to around 111,600 square meters, compared with 85,300 square meters in the first half of 2025.
The ministry also issued or renewed 56 occupancy permits covering approximately 126,000 square meters, while investor satisfaction with development-zone developers increased to 77.1 percent from 75.1 percent.
Planning work included approval of the master plan for the third phase of the Dhleil Development Zone, completion of studies for the Ajloun National Park and Jerash Development Zone master plans and updates to the King Hussein Business Park and Dead Sea Development Zone plans.
Master plans for six industrial cities were also converted to a geographic information system to improve planning and speed access to information for investors.
On the regulatory front, the amended Investment Environment Regulation No. 30 of 2026 was issued to simplify procedures, shorten licensing and approval periods and broaden incentives to cover the expansion and modernization of existing projects, the introduction of new technology and support for creative industries.
The government also amended investment-based citizenship and residency requirements to increase their economic impact and direct more investment toward governorates and strategic national projects.
During the first half, the ministry issued or renewed 1,690 investor cards for investors and their family members.
Six investors received five-year residency permits through real estate investments totaling JD1.38 million. Jordanian citizenship was granted to 65 investors, up from 29 a year earlier, with approved applications linked to investments worth approximately JD72.3 million. Citizenship was also granted to 250 family members of investors.
Government commissioners based at the ministry processed more than 47,000 transactions, including residency permits, visas, entry approvals, work permits, tax procedures, Civil Defense services, environmental and health approvals, food and drug procedures and company registrations.
The ministry also expanded the pipeline of projects available to prospective investors. Opportunities listed on the Invest in Jordan platform rose from 44 in the first half of 2025 to around 120 by the end of the first half of 2026, covering different sectors and governorates.
Work included preparing studies and terms of reference for strategic projects and developing a mechanism to collect, evaluate and promote investment opportunities originating in municipalities and governorates.
The public-private partnership portfolio expanded from eight projects in 2025 to 11 in the first half of this year, spanning transport, energy, water, education, health and logistics.
The ministry completed feasibility studies for three projects and advanced technical, financial and legal preparations for others as they move toward tendering, contracting and implementation.
Investment promotion activities were conducted in China, the United Kingdom and several European Union countries, involving direct meetings with companies, investors, investment funds, chambers of commerce and financial and development institutions.
The Investment Promotion Directorate received 34 investment requests through its investor relationship management system and helped complete the establishment and registration of six companies with expected investments of around $97.8 million.
Those projects are expected to create up to 2,165 jobs once implemented and operational.
The ministry also launched an updated Arabic- and English-language Invest in Jordan platform, integrating an interactive map of projects and investment opportunities with information on free trade agreements. An artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant was added to improve investors’ access to information.
Digital transformation efforts included redesigning investment procedures across six directorates and service units. The ministry reviewed 121 services and consolidated overlapping procedures, reducing the number to 94 ahead of automation.
Electronic integration with the Income and Sales Tax Department and Jordan Customs is also underway to facilitate data exchange and accelerate transactions.
The ministry has developed an interactive Investment Calculator that allows prospective investors to estimate establishment, registration, labor, residency, energy, water, tax and operating costs based on the type, location and size of a proposed project. The tool also provides information on incentives and allows comparisons between locations and investment scenarios.
The report said the investment indicators coincided with real GDP growth of 2.9 percent in the first quarter, foreign currency reserves exceeding $26 billion at the end of June and a 14.5 percent increase in total exports to around JD6.4 billion.
Trading value on the Amman Stock Exchange reached around JD1.6 billion during the first half, while non-Jordanian ownership accounted for 46.4 percent of the market capitalization of listed shares.
The ministry said the next phase will focus on accelerating the conversion of investment opportunities and applications into operating projects, expanding public-private partnerships and strengthening coordination between government agencies and the private sector.
It said investment performance would increasingly be measured by tangible economic outcomes, including projects entering production, existing investments expanding, jobs being created, local suppliers growing and governorates turning their resources and competitive advantages into sustainable economic activity.
//Petra// RZ
