New Dutch ambassador presents plans for private sector engagement

AMMAN — The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Thursday organised a private sector dialogue session with over 30 Jordanian businesses of all different capacities. 

The companies in attendance came from diverse industries, including but not limited to, banks, investment companies, food delivery services, logistics and pharmaceutical companies, said a Dutch embassy statement. 

This was an opportunity for the Netherland’s new ambassador to Jordan, Harry Verweij, to meet key players in Jordan’s private sector. 

In his first official address as ambassador to Jordan, Verweij presented the embassy’s private sector engagement plans and programmes. 

Verweij stressed the importance of engaging youth in the private sector. “Youth are key for sustainable economic growth and central throughout the Netherlands’ development policies. The Netherlands launched a strategy called Youth@Heart last year to ensure the inclusion of youth in our approaches and increase their agency in shaping their future. To Jordan, this is highly relevant, hence the focus of youth in our discussion today,” Verweij stated. 

Since 2019, the Netherlands has committed over 30 million euros towards improving market access and strengthening economic actors in the horticulture value chain, promoting entrepreneurship and improving access to finance in Jordan. 

Youth, women and vulnerable communities are prioritised in the embassy’s economic development programmes, the statement said. 

The Netherlands is particularly active in supporting the horticulture value chain and helping companies raise their production levels and the quality of their produce, while using less water. 

The Netherlands also helps agricultural and other companies prepare for and enter foreign markets — including the Netherlands — through the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI).  

The Dutch embassy recently signed a four-million-euro project with Leaders International, an NGO for economic development, that will help Jordanian SMEs become consistent suppliers to Jordanian industries, replacing the need for more expensive and time-consuming imports. 

The Netherlands designated Jordan as a priority country for development cooperation in 2019, investing more than 200 million euros to support the country’s hosting of refugees and vulnerable host communities. 

The Netherlands and Jordan enjoy expanded cooperation in a number of fields, including food security, water management, technical and vocational education, trade and investment, entrepreneurship, and human rights.