Amman, July 18 (Petra) -- Major structural revisions to the national investment framework designed to fast-track the entry of expatriate capital led the opening proceedings of the Ninth Conference of Jordanian Businessmen and Investors Abroad on Saturday.

Operating under the strategic theme "Investment Opportunities with a Global Vision," the convention focused on expanding private sector participation, diversifying long-term commercial investments, and mitigating regional supply chain vulnerabilities.

The primary policy focus centered on the 2026 amendments to the investment environment bylaws. The updated regulations introduce a key structural shift: companies registered outside Jordan can now secure full domestic investment incentives, fast-tracked licensing, and preferred regulatory treatment, provided that Jordanian nationals hold at least a 50% equity stake or maintain documented operational control. This legal modification aims to remove historical cross-border corporate registration barriers and draw direct equity investments from citizens residing abroad.

Delivering the opening address on behalf of the Prime Minister, Investment Minister Tariq Abu Ghazaleh stated that the current global economic climate demands institutional agility to turn macroeconomic pressures into industrial opportunities. Abu Ghazaleh noted that the executive priorities under the state's economic roadmap focus on boosting manufacturing productivity and digitizing public sector procedures to lower overhead costs for incoming investors.

The regulatory changes follow a clear upward trend in cross-border capital inflows. Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) President Ayman Al-Alawneh disclosed that worker remittances to the Kingdom rose 13% during the first four months of 2026, totaling approximately $1.6 billion.

The JBA, which organized the assembly alongside the ministries of Investment and Foreign Affairs, is working to establish institutional channels to guide these capital flows away from passive real estate holdings and into active corporate equities and public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects.

Addressing the regional trade environment, Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs Secretary-General Dhaifallah Al-Fayez stated that international economic diplomacy is currently opening new trade corridors to counter elevated shipping fees, high regional financing costs, and broader logistical challenges.

Al-Fayez outlined immediate project pipelines available for commercial investment, including utility-scale renewable energy grid integration, industrial mining, information technology, tourism infrastructure, and logistics hubs. These sectors are supported by preferential trade agreements designed to establish the country as a regional re-export and industrial storage center.

The conference framework is organized across four specialized panel sessions. The first session evaluated the executive performance metrics of the Economic Modernization Vision for 2026–2029, focusing on building macroeconomic resilience.

Subsequent panels analyzed private-sector project delivery, foreign economic diplomacy strategies in emerging markets, and specific financing mechanisms to localize expatriate capital through joint ventures.

The assembly will conclude with a comprehensive policy roadmap listing specific operational steps to improve ease-of-doing-business indicators across key sectors.

//Petra// AA