Amman, Dec. 17 (Petra) -- The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) and the Palestinian Industrial Estates and Free Zones Authority (PIEFZA) have held talks on strengthening cooperation and exchanging expertise in the development and management of industrial cities.

According to a statement issued by JIEC on Wednesday, the discussions took place during a meeting between JIEC Director General Omar Juwaid, Zaghloul Samhan, Undersecretary at the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy, and PIEFZA Chief Executive Officer Khaled Al-Amleh, alongside senior officials and technical specialists from the Palestinian Authority.

Juwaid said Jordan’s experience in industrial estate development represents a practical and closely aligned model for Palestine, emphasizing that the meeting reflects JIEC’s commitment to enhancing Arab economic cooperation and exchanging technical, administrative, and legislative expertise to support industrial growth and achieve sustainable economic development in both countries.

He explained that the Jordanian model is based on integrated planning, advanced infrastructure, an attractive investment climate, and effective public-private partnerships, contributing to investment attraction, job creation, and economic growth. Juwaid affirmed JIEC’s readiness to transfer and adapt this expertise to meet the specific needs of the Palestinian industrial sector.

Samhan underscored the importance of leveraging Jordan’s experience to support Palestine’s strategy of import substitution and revitalizing its industrial sector, noting that industry is a key pillar of the Palestinian economy. He called for stronger policies to support domestic production, enable industrial expansion, enhance economic resilience, and generate sustainable employment opportunities.

Al-Amleh said the visit aims to incorporate Jordanian expertise into PIEEFZA’s future projects, noting ongoing efforts to establish a specialized leather and textiles industrial city in Hebron and a furniture-focused industrial city in Salfit Governorate, initiatives designed to enhance industrial specialization and increase value added.

The meeting also reviewed mechanisms to advance the memorandum of understanding previously signed between JIEC and PIEEFZA, which provides for cooperation in planning, design, management, capacity building, expert exchange, joint training programs, and the sharing of information and studies related to industrial development and investment promotion.

As part of the visit, the Palestinian delegation received a detailed briefing on JIEC’s institutional framework, development role, and achievements, as well as the incentives offered under Jordan’s investment environment law and their impact on attracting industrial investment and strengthening competitiveness.

The visit included field tours of several Jordanian industrial estates, including Al-Hassan Industrial Estate and Zarqa Industrial Estate, the Middle East’s first modern green industrial city, in addition to visits to the Jordan Free and Development Zones Group, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and the Aqaba Industrial Estate.

//Petra// RZ