Amman, June 1 (Petra) -- The opening of six new factories in Al-Qatrana is a strong message of confidence in Jordan's investment environment with a capacity to attract high-quality, value-added industrial investments that generate job opportunities and support exports, said industrialists.
Investment in industry helps to transfer industrial technology and knowledge to the Kingdom and boost exports, as it aims to produce goods with competitiveness in foreign markets, they said in interviews with Petra.
The opening of the factories is a clear indicator that the country is effectively moving from a logic of isolated projects to building integrated industrial clusters capable of creating sustainable job opportunities and driving development across the governorates, they pointed out.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan inaugurated six factories of the Jinsheng International Group in the Al-Qatrana in the Karak Governorate on Sunday.
The facilities, as the nucleus of an integrated industrial complex, will provide 700 job opportunities for residents of the region and surrounding areas.
Jinsheng International is a Chinese investment specializing in the manufacture of porcelain, electrical appliances, stainless steel, lighting, sanitary ware, cardboard products, and other goods. The company is currently building three additional factories in Al-Qatrana for the production of glass, porcelain, and plastic products.
The opening of the factories is a successful model for strategic projects targeted by Jordan's new investment environment, said Iyad Abu Haltam, Chairman of the East Amman Industrial Investors Association.
The project is a practical application of the incentives and facilities offered by the Investment Environment Law to attract major industrial investments, he added.
"The importance of this industrial project extends beyond its investment size and the number of jobs it creates, but also plays a crucial role in transferring modern industrial technology and knowledge to the Kingdom," he said.
He added the the choice of Al-Qatrana for the massive industrial complex carries significant developmental dimensions, as it contributes to directing investments towards governorates and regions far from traditional economic centers.
Haltam said the success of the Chinese investment sends a message to international investors about the viability of industrial investment in Jordan, given the Kingdom's economic stability, strategic location, and extensive network of free trade agreements.
These agreements grant Jordanian-made products preferential access to numerous global markets, thus strengthening the Kingdom's position as a regional manufacturing and export hub, he said.
Head of the Jordanian Investors Association, Mujahid Al-Rajabi, commented that Jordan has numerous advantages to become a regional industrial hub, notably its strategic geographic location, free trade agreements that guarantee access to more than 1.6 billion consumers worldwide, and skilled manpower and advanced industrial infrastructure that has seen remarkable development in recent years.
The next phase requires a focus on high-tech industries with high added value, particularly pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, specialized food industries, engineering and electronics industries, renewable energy components manufacturing, digital transformation technologies, and industries related to the green economy, recycling, and environmental sustainability, he said.
Mohammad Smadi, CEO of Business Development at Al-Amal Industrial Group, said the new factories are not merely a new investment expansion, but a significant shift in Jordan's standing as a regional industrial hub capable of attracting long-term productive investments.
Fawaz Al-Shak’a, a Jordan Chamber of Industry board member, said major investment ventures currently receive tangible government support, whether through energy incentives, development zones, or legislative facilitations.
The influx of major industrial investments into the Kingdom is not a mere coincidence, but is the fruit of an integrated system of established structural assets and competitive advantages, he said. Foremost among these is a set of free trade agreements that grant Jordanian products preferential access to the markets of the United States, the European Union, Arab countries, and many other foreign countries, he added.
Ihab Qadri, representative of the leather and garment sector at the Jordan Chamber of Industry, said moving from isolated projects to integrated industrial clusters is a major boost to national exports, as integrated industrial complexes ensure more consistent production and higher logistical efficiency, thus enhancing Jordan's credibility as an attractive industrial location capable of efficiently accessing global markets.
Jordan needs not only additional production capacity, but also industrial depth and vertical and horizontal integration, he added.
//Petra//SS
