Amman, May 22 (Petra)-- Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh said the government is moving ahead with the goals of the Economic Modernization Vision by developing the investment environment and positioning investment as a key driver of growth, development and job creation.

Speaking during the "60 Minutes" program on Jordan Television, Abu Ghazaleh said investment is no longer limited to attracting capital, but has become a tool for improving citizens’ lives and supporting development across all regions of the Kingdom.

He said the ministry has recently introduced a package of regulatory and legislative measures aimed at improving the business environment and facilitating investors’ journey, most notably the amended Investment Environment Regulation for 2026.

During the interview with journalist Anas Majali, Abu Ghazaleh explained that the amended regulation, recently approved by the Cabinet, came in response to practical feedback and extensive consultations with a wide range of investors and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

He noted that the amendments focus on simplifying procedures, re-engineering several services and operations, and reducing both time and costs for investors, with the aim of accelerating project implementation and enhancing Jordan’s attractiveness for local and foreign investment.

The minister added that the amended regulation expanded investment incentives by lowering expansion requirements for existing projects from 25 percent to 5 percent. It also included creative industries among the sectors eligible for incentives and investment exemptions, in a move aimed at supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and greater opportunities for young people to transform their ideas and skills into productive businesses.

Abu Ghazaleh said the amendments also allow companies majority-owned by Jordanians abroad to register as Jordanian companies, with the goal of attracting Jordanian capital and encouraging expatriate investors to expand their businesses in the Kingdom.

On the broader investment climate, he said Jordan continued to achieve positive investment indicators despite regional challenges, noting that foreign direct investment inflows increased by 25 percent last year.

He added that positive indicators continued during the first quarter of 2026, with 92 projects benefiting from exemptions on investments worth JD106 million. The ministry also issued 313 new investor cards during the same period, reflecting continued confidence in Jordan’s investment environment.

Abu Ghazaleh said the ministry is working in close coordination with other ministries and has developed a national investment map featuring around 100 investment opportunities across the Kingdom’s governorates.

The opportunities, he explained, are intended to be transformed into bankable and implementable projects and promoted through digital platforms, embassies and Jordanian diplomatic missions worldwide, in what he described as unprecedented coordination between the Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs.

He stressed that real investment should not only be measured by figures and indicators, but by its tangible impact on citizens’ lives through job creation, improved services and sustainable development across the Kingdom.

The minister highlighted the government’s school transportation project in the Southern Badia as a leading example of this approach, saying the initiative goes beyond providing transportation for students and represents an integrated development project that supports education, creates jobs and improves quality of life for families and students.

He added that the project includes modern buses equipped with advanced safety standards and technologies to ensure a safer and more stable learning environment.

//Petra// MF