Day: April 6, 2025

Amman: Jordan’s comprehensive government service centers have processed 2.9 million transactions by the end of March. These centers offer a total of 182 services, both traditional and digital, covering 34 government institutions. The total number of visitors to these centers has reached 1,165,293.

According to Jordan News Agency, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Sami Samiratt, highlighted the vital role of these centers in making government services more accessible to citizens with high quality and efficiency. He explained that these centers reflect the government’s vision of improving citizen experiences while ensuring transparency and fairness in service delivery. By consolidating multiple services in one location, they simplify access for the public.

Samiratt also pointed out that efforts are ongoing to expand these centers and enhance their services, ensuring that they reach all regions and contribute to greater digital equity. This expansion is part of broader efforts to modernize both the economy and government services.

So far, 9 out of 15 planned centers have been set up and are operational, with the remaining centers expected to open by the end of 2025. These centers aim to improve access to services, particularly in densely populated areas. For instance, the first center in Al-Muqabaleen offers 137 services from 29 institutions, while a branch at Queen Alia International Airport provides 66 services from 24 institutions. Other centers have been established in places like Irbid, Tafileh, Aqaba, and Ma’an, with each offering a range of services tailored to local needs.

The expansion continues as the government adds more services and institutions to these centers. The Ministry is also actively collecting citizen feedback through several channels such as the “At Your Service” platform, surveys, and social media to gauge satisfaction and continually improve services. The Citizen Service Office monitors this feedback, focusing on areas like the work environment, service procedures, and staff behavior.

Recent evaluations have shown positive results, with the Queen Alia Airport branch achieving a satisfaction rate of 97.6%, the Muqabaleen center at 93.3%, and the Irbid center at 95.5%. These figures reflect the growing success of the centers in meeting the public’s expectations.

Amman: The Kingdom’s economic expansion, which transcended initial prognostications for the preceding fiscal year, epitomizes the intrinsic resilience of Jordan’s economic framework and its adept capacity to navigate multifaceted challenges amid regional volatility. This accomplishment stands testament to sustained royal stewardship and the implementation of meticulously calibrated governmental interventions designed to fortify the business ecosystem.

According to Jordan News Agency, recent economic indicators reveal that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered a 2.7 percent year-on-year expansion during the fourth quarter of 2024, surpassing the forecasted 2.5 percent growth trajectory. Notably, the cumulative GDP growth for the fiscal year reached 2.5 percent, outperforming initial projections of 2.3 percent, a testament to the economy’s underlying robustness.

Economic luminaries interviewed underscored that the Kingdom’s fourth-quarter performance constitutes an auspicious macroeconomic barometer, demonstrating the efficacy of implemented fiscal and monetary mechanisms while highlighting the remarkable adaptability of the national economy despite the turbulent geopolitical landscape permeating the region. Analysts observed that this growth trajectory signifies enhanced aggregate economic performance and validates the judicious calibration of the government’s economic policy architecture.

Senator Ahmad Al-Khudari, Chairman of the Jordan Exporters Association, emphasized that the growth metrics reflect the national economy’s extraordinary adaptive capacity despite regional vicissitudes and geopolitical fluctuations. He articulated that synchronized endeavors by both public and private sectors have been instrumental in addressing economic headwinds.

Khudari illuminated that pivotal economic sectors exhibited distinguished growth trajectories, with the agricultural domain recording an 8.4 percent expansion and manufacturing industries achieving a 4.9 percent growth, indicative of the advancement of productive sectors despite prevailing exigencies. The manufacturing sector spearheaded sectoral contributions to fourth-quarter growth, contributing 0.9 percentage points to the overall economic expansion.

Musa Saket, a board member of the Amman Chamber of Industry, observed that the 2.7 percent growth achieved in the fourth quarter of 2024 represents the zenith of quarterly growth rates compared to the preceding three quarters. Saket emphasized that this growth trajectory exemplifies the resilience of the national economy and its sophisticated adaptive mechanisms under evolving circumstances.

Economist Adli Kandah elucidated that achieving 2.7 percent real economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, despite unfavorable regional conditions, presents an encouraging portrait of the economy’s structural integrity. Kandah emphasized that commodity sectors served as primary growth catalysts, reflecting reinvigorated activity in authentic productive sectors.

Muhammad Qaryouti, a board member of the Jordan Economic Forum, articulated that the fourth-quarter GDP growth of 2.7 percent and the full-year 2024 growth rate of 2.5 percent provide auspicious indicators. Qaryouti explained that manufacturing industries played a pivotal role in consolidating this growth due to their cumulative nature.

Maher Mahrouq, Director General of the Association of Banks in Jordan, affirmed that the recent economic growth represents an extraordinarily positive indicator. Mahrouq noted that these measures have substantively contributed to revitalizing economic activity and accelerating growth momentum, highlighting the imperative of maintaining this approach to ensure enhanced financial stability.

Economic savants emphasized the necessity of building upon this positive momentum through transparent and stable economic policies that ensure sustainable growth trajectories and facilitate the realization of objectives delineated in the Economic Modernization Vision.

Amman: The Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) ended Sunday’s trading session with a decline of 2.07 percent, settling at 2,545 points.

According to Jordan News Agency, the trading volume reached approximately 8.8 million shares, with a total turnover of around JOD 3.4 million generated through 2,805 transactions.

Market data revealed that share prices dropped for 60 listed companies, while eight companies recorded gains. The prices of 18 other companies remained unchanged.

Amman: Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Jordan, Noor-E Hilal Saifur Rahman, reaffirmed his country’s strong appreciation for Jordan’s enduring support of the Palestinian cause and emphasized the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

According to Jordan News Agency, speaking to the agency on the occasion of Bangladesh’s National Day, Rahman underscored the shared commitment of both nations to a just resolution that ensures the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign state along the 1967 borders.

The ambassador noted that Jordan was among the first Arab nations to recognize Bangladesh in 1973, laying the foundation for a strong bilateral relationship. He highlighted that the two countries share common values and cultural ties, with Bangladesh opening a resident embassy in Amman in 1998. Since then, he said, bilateral cooperation has expanded across multiple sectors, especially in economic development.

Rahman announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral consultations between the two countries has been finalized and awaits signing. He cited the visit of the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary to Amman in November 2023 and a planned reciprocal visit by the Jordanian side to Dhaka, during which the MoU is expected to be signed.

Discussing economic indicators, the ambassador stated that Bangladesh’s GDP stands at approximately $480 billion in nominal terms and $1.8 trillion in purchasing power parity (PPP). He described Bangladesh as a dynamic market with a youthful and trainable workforce, and noted the potential for joint initiatives in technology-driven entrepreneurship, leveraging Jordan’s highly educated youth and technical expertise.

Bilateral trade reached approximately $120 million in 2023, with Jordan exporting goods worth around $58 million. Rahman highlighted Bangladesh’s position as the world’s second-largest exporter of ready-made garments, adding that between 35,000 and 40,000 Bangladeshi workers, mostly women, are employed in Jordan’s garment industry. He said this labor force plays a vital role in enhancing economic integration.

He also emphasized potential collaboration in other sectors, including ICT, agriculture, construction, healthcare, and hospitality. Additionally, he encouraged developing tourism ties, pointing to Jordan’s religious and historical attractions and suggesting that the country could serve as a destination for Bangladeshi religious tourists, especially those traveling for Umrah.

Marking 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023, the Bangladeshi Embassy organized cultural events in cooperation with Jordan’s Ministry of Culture. The two countries are also finalizing an MoU on cultural cooperation, and efforts are underway to include Bangladeshi cultural troupes in Jordan’s Jerash Festival.

Rahman encouraged Jordanian travelers heading to Southeast Asia to consider Bangladesh as a regional hub due to its natural beauty and heritage sites. He also highlighted the role Jordanian airlines could play in serving millions of Bangladeshi expatriates across the globe, including those in Jordan.

On the Palestinian issue, the ambassador reiterated Bangladesh’s unwavering diplomatic support for Palestinian self-determination, a core principle of its foreign policy.

He strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on Gaza following the ceasefire agreement, labeling them a violation of international law, and called on the international community to hold Israel accountable and ensure compliance with the truce.

Amman: The number of certificates of origin issued by Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) rose by 26.2% during the first quarter of this year designed for export of goods and commodities to Arab and foreign countries, compared to the same period last year.

According to Jordan News Agency, a total of 7,208 certificates of origin were issued by the chamber during the January-March period 2025, compared to 5,711 certificates during the first 3 months last year.

Based on the data, the value of the ACC’s certificates in the first 3 months 2025 dropped by 7.3%, decreasing by approximately JD305 million, compared to JD 328 million last year.

Syria topped the list of the top five countries that received the chamber’s exported goods and products during the same period under 1,665 certificates worth JD18 million, while Iraq ranked highest in terms of value.

Iraq ranked second with 801 certificates at a value of approximately JD137 million, placing it on the list of importing from the Kingdom with the highest value, the ACC figures showed.

Meanwhile, a total of 7 certificates of origin were issued to Switzerland worth approximately JD26 million, followed by Egypt with 181 certificates at a value of approximately JD22 million and the UAE with 630 certificates at JD17 million, the data revealed.

The ACC said these countries topped the list in terms of both number and value.

As for product types, the value of exports of foreign goods amounted to approximately JD149 million, mainly industrial products at JD71 million, then agricultural products at JD29 million and Arab products stood at approximately JD21 million, while the remaining exports covered other items.

Cairo: His Majesty King Abdullah II is scheduled to attend a trilateral summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Egypt on Monday.

According to Jordan News Agency, the summit, which is being held at the invitation of the Egyptian president, will discuss the grave developments taking place in Gaza.