Zarqa, May 16 (Petra) -- The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) said it has attracted six new industrial investments to the Zarqa Industrial Estate (ZIE), in a move aimed at strengthening industrial and investment activity in Jordan and underscoring growing confidence in the country's investment environment and its ability to attract high-value, specialized industries.
Oday Obeidat, JIEC General Manager, told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the new investments will focus on the chemical and engineering industries.
He said the projects are still in the preparation and development stage, while the company continues negotiations with other investors with a view to signing additional investment agreements in the coming period.
Obeidat said the company has launched extensive promotional campaigns for ZIE at the local and regional levels to highlight the promising investment opportunities available there and to showcase the incentives and benefits offered to industrial investors.
He said the effort is intended to attract high-quality investments capable of stimulating economic growth and enhancing the competitiveness of Jordan's industrial sector.
Obeidat said the company is translating royal directives into practical programs and plans aimed at attracting advanced and modern industries with a direct impact on the national economy by providing a fully integrated investment environment built on advanced infrastructure, a strategic location and modern logistics services.
He called on investors and business leaders to take advantage of the city's investment and geographic advantages, noting that ZIE is the largest industrial estate in Jordan and the country's first environmentally friendly industrial estate.
He described it as an advanced development model that reflects the royal vision of building a modern and sustainable national industrial base capable of generating jobs and achieving comprehensive development.
Obeidat said ZIE incorporates advanced renewable energy solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) systems to reduce energy and water costs for investors. It also includes water harvesting projects and natural gas networks to strengthen environmental sustainability and improve industrial operating efficiency.
He said the estate's first phase was developed on 1,386 dunums (about 1.39 million square meters) out of a total planned area of 2,475 dunums, at a cost of JD35 million ($49.4 million).
The phase includes fully serviced industrial land and ready-built factory space totaling 21,000 square meters.
Preliminary studies indicate that the first phase can accommodate about 217 industrial investments and create around 8,500 jobs.
Obeidat said the company has equipped ZIE with all key investment attractions and expects the number of industrial investments to reach around 530 companies once all phases are completed, generating more than 21,000 jobs.
He said the ZIE's strategic location is one of its strongest advantages, situated about 30 kilometers from Amman and 15 kilometers from the Zarqa Free Zone, giving it an important logistical edge and strong links to local and regional markets and neighboring countries.
Obeidat said target sectors for investment include electronics, smartphones, tablet devices, laptops, medical equipment, engineering industries and automobile manufacturing, reinforcing Jordan's push toward advanced technology industries and export-oriented sectors with high added value.
//Petra/
