Business

AMMAN — The World Bank has disbursed $37.9 million for the National Employment Programme, representing 33.8 per cent of the total funding of $112 million, leaving $74.1 million pending disbursement until the programme’s objectives are fully achieved.  

According to an evaluation report by the World Bank, reviewed by Al Mamlaka TV, the project, approved on December 17 2021, aims to support Jordan’s initiative to stimulate employment and skills acquisition in the private sector.

The programme’s main goal is to create 60,000 job opportunities for Jordanians in the private sector. 

It operates based on demand from private sector employers, ensuring job placements first, followed by necessary training when needed.  

The report indicated that the programme has supported more than 1,500 companies across all governorates and facilitated employment for over 46,000 job seekers, 53 per cent of whom are women and 11 per cent are beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund. 

Some 24,000 beneficiaries have received on-the-job training through employers.  

The report noted that progress towards achieving sustainable development goals and overall implementation is considered “moderately satisfactory,” while the overall risk assessment has been classified as “moderate.” The programme is set to continue until the end of 2025.  

The report also highlighted that 56 per cent of job seekers who benefited from the full six-month support period remained employed six months after the support ended, with a target of 75 per cent by the end of 2025. 

The programme requires participating companies to be Jordanian, registered with the Social Security Corporation, and not to dismiss employees to replace them with new hires under the programme.  

The Ministry of Labour stressed that it is currently in discussions with the World Bank to restructure the National Employment Programme to enhance its effectiveness, expand its reach, and extend its duration in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.  

Ministry of Labour spokesperson told Al Mamlaka TV that the proposed restructuring includes extending the programme to ensure continued job creation efforts across various sectors. 

It also aims to further stimulate private sector employment by providing wage subsidies to generate more job opportunities.

AMMAN — Industrial exports grew by 1.4 per cent to JD7.8 billion in 2024, compared to the previous year, despite regional challenges, according to the Jordan and Amman chambers of industry.

Industrial exports accounted for about 92 per cent of total national exports last year, according to foreign trade figures of the Department of Statistics, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday. 

The growth and positive performance would not have been achieved without ongoing joint efforts of both government agencies and the private sector to take down barriers to exports, open new markets, and bolster trade with international partners, President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry Fathi Jaghbir said.

He said growth was driven by rising exports by four sub-industrial sectors, namely leather and textiles, food and supplies, livestock, medical supplies, plastics, and rubber.

The construction and mining industries, packaging, wood and furniture, engineering, and electrical industries dropped, he said.

Jaghbir said the US topped the list of importers, followed by Arab and European Union countries, referring to the expansion of Jordanian exports to such European markets as Ukraine, Belgium, Norway, Italy and Finland.

He said that exports also expanded to South Korea and Japan, and accessed entirely new markets, such as Myanmar, Latvia, and Luxembourg, underlining the quality of Jordanian products, with exports now reaching more than 146 countries.

AMMAN — The World Bank has disbursed $37.9 million for the National Employment Programme, representing 33.8 per cent of the total funding of $112 million, leaving $74.1 million pending disbursement until the programme’s objectives are fully achieved.  

According to an evaluation report by the World Bank, reviewed by Al Mamlaka TV, the project, approved on December 17 2021, aims to support Jordan’s initiative to stimulate employment and skills acquisition in the private sector.

The programme’s main goal is to create 60,000 job opportunities for Jordanians in the private sector. 

It operates based on demand from private sector employers, ensuring job placements first, followed by necessary training when needed.  

The report indicated that the programme has supported more than 1,500 companies across all governorates and facilitated employment for over 46,000 job seekers, 53 per cent of whom are women and 11 per cent are beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund. 

Some 24,000 beneficiaries have received on-the-job training through employers.  

The report noted that progress towards achieving sustainable development goals and overall implementation is considered “moderately satisfactory,” while the overall risk assessment has been classified as “moderate.” The programme is set to continue until the end of 2025.  

The report also highlighted that 56 per cent of job seekers who benefited from the full six-month support period remained employed six months after the support ended, with a target of 75 per cent by the end of 2025. 

The programme requires participating companies to be Jordanian, registered with the Social Security Corporation, and not to dismiss employees to replace them with new hires under the programme.  

The Ministry of Labour stressed that it is currently in discussions with the World Bank to restructure the National Employment Programme to enhance its effectiveness, expand its reach, and extend its duration in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.  

Ministry of Labour spokesperson told Al Mamlaka TV that the proposed restructuring includes extending the programme to ensure continued job creation efforts across various sectors. 

It also aims to further stimulate private sector employment by providing wage subsidies to generate more job opportunities.

AMMAN — Agricultural exports in 2024 saw a significant increase by JD1.276 billion compared with 37.16 per cent in 2023, marking a rise of JD 346 million from the JD1.103 billion recorded in 2023.

Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat said on Thursday, in a statement to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that despite market closures, agricultural exports grew in 2024, according to the General Statistics Report on Agricultural Exports.

He attributed this growth to government follow-ups and export facilitation efforts. 

Among the key factors behind this increase, Hneifat highlighted the efforts of the Jordanian-Palestinian Agricultural Marketing Company, which has opened new markets for local products, in addition to a surge in horticultural exports and a significant rise in livestock exports. 

The government supports agricultural exports by subsidising 25 per cent of sea freight costs and 50 per cent of air freight costs to enhance the competitiveness of local products in international markets.

AMMAN — The number of transactions executed through the instant payment system (CliQ) from the beginning of the year up until the end of February reached 20.22 million transactions, with a total value of JD2.61 billion, according to data from the Jordan Payment and Clearing Systems Company (JoPACC).

The value of electronic payment transactions via CliQ decreased to JD1.28 billion during February, a drop of 4.3 per cent compared to January, where the value stood at JD1.33 billion.

Data reviewed by Al-Mamlaka TV revealed that 9.9 million transactions were executed in February, marking a 4 per cent decrease compared to 10.32 million transactions in January.

As for the user base, the number of CliQ users in Jordan rose to 1.74 million, an increase of 2 per cent in February alone.

According to the statistics, 96.3 per cent of platform users are of Jordanian nationality, with Jordanians comprising 1.6 million users, while users from other nationalities totalled 65,000, making up 3.7 per cent.

The data also revealed that the largest proportion of CliQ users in Jordan are males, accounting for 62.2 per cent, compared to nearly 35 per cent of female users, with the age group of 18 to 30 being the most active and frequent users of the service.

In terms of the nature of transactions, money transfers made up 85.3 per cent of the total transactions carried out via CliQ, while purchases via CliQ accounted for 14.7 per cent.

CliQ is the latest instant payment system in Jordan, launched by JoPACC in 2020. The system enables the sending and receiving of money between bank accounts in all participating banks, as well as to and from e-wallets in Jordan, in real-time.

These results reflect "significant" progress in the e-payment sector in Jordan, reinforcing the position of digital services as a secure and effective alternative to traditional transactions, and confirming the shift towards an advanced digital economy that keeps pace with global technological developments.

The total number of transactions executed through the CliQ instant payment system last year amounted to 83.9 million transactions, with a value of JD12.1 billion.

AMMAN — Six industrial products dominated Jordan's export landscape in 2024, accounting for 57 per cent of national exports valued at JD8.579 billion ($12.1 billion), according to latest data from the Department of Statistics.

Apparel and accessories emerged as the standout performer, capturing 19.4 per cent market share and posting a robust 25.6 per cent year-on-year growth to reach JD1.665 billion, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

This was followed by chemical fertilisers at 11.1 per cent and pharmaceuticals at 7.1 per cent, with the latter growing 14.8 per cent to JD611 million.

The Kingdom's export portfolio showed mixed performance across key sectors; where apparel and pharmaceuticals surged, other traditional export pillars recorded declines. 

Chemical fertilisers dipped 2.3 per cent to JD955 million, jewellery plunged 21.5 per cent to JD648 million, raw potash fell sharply by 28.4 per cent to JD466 million and phosphate exports contracted 9.3 per cent to JD547 million.

Leather and textiles sector representative at the Jordan Chamber of Industry Ihab Qadri highlighted the apparel sector's "landmark performance," which reached its highest export value since 2010.

"Apparel exports form the backbone of the sector, accounting for more than 95 per cent of its total exports," Qadri told Petra. 

The sector posted JD339 million in additional export value during 2024, representing 25 per cent growth despite global supply chain disruptions.

The US market remains crucial, absorbing 80 per cent of Jordan's apparel exports, while the sector has successfully diversified into EU markets including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, as well as Canada. The sector now exports to over 84 global markets.

Qadri expressed optimism about 2025 performance, citing the sector's inclusion as a priority in Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision, which aims to position the Kingdom as a regional fast fashion manufacturing hub.

The sector, which employs 90,000 workers including 29,000 Jordanians, has demonstrated "remarkable" long-term growth from just JD80 million in exports in 2000 to some JD1.8 billion in 2024.

According to Qadri, the industry generates a 42 per cent value-add rate, meaning "every dinar of production creates more than JD0.42 in added value that directly contributes to GDP."

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply has launched a national strategy for the leather and textiles sector and is developing a specialised industrial cluster to address raw material scarcity and strengthen the value chain.

AMMAN — Jordan's Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, rose by 2.21 per cent during the first two months of 2025, reaching 112.30 points, compared to 109.87 points during the same period in 2024, according to a report released by the Department of Statistics on Tuesday.

The increase was mainly driven by significant rises in several commodity groups, with personal luggage prices up by 16.69 per cent, tobacco and cigarettes by 12.73 per cent, meat and poultry 8.70 per cent, spices, food seasoning and other food 5.32 per cent and culture and recreation up by 5.07 per cent. 

The figures also showed that the CPI for February 2025 increased by 2.12 per cent compared to February 2024, rising from 110.02 points to 112.36 points, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The main contributors to the February CPI increase were personal luggage, up 18.39 per cent; tobacco and cigarettes, up 12.73 per cent; meat and poultry, up 8.69 per cent; spices, food seasonings and other food, up 5.34 per cent; and culture and recreation, up 5.18 per cent. 

Certain groups of goods helped to dampen the overall increase, including furniture, carpets and furnishings, which fell by 3.46 per cent, clothing by 2.50 per cent, household appliances by 2.31 per cent and vegetables, pulses and preserves by 2.13 per cent.

The report also highlighted that the February CPI was slightly higher than January, with an increase of 0.11 per cent, rising from 112.23 points to 112.36 points.

The main contributors to this month-on-month increase were personal luggage at 2.87 per cent, fish and seafood at 1.02 per cent, meat and poultry 0.97 per cent, communication 0.75 per cent and beverages and soft drinks 0.55 per cent.

AMMAN — The volume of real estate trading in the Kingdom reached JD1.09 billion by the end of February 2025, marking a 1 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2024, the Department of Lands and Survey announced on Tuesday. 

The trading volume for February alone amounted to JD545 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The report showed that revenues from real estate transactions rose by 9 per cent year-on-year, reaching JD47.4 million by the end of February.

Property sales saw a 3-per-cent decline, with apartment sales dropping by 4 per cent and land sales decreasing by 5 per cent. 

The total number of properties sold in the first two months of the year stood at 2,265. 

On a monthly level, revenues for February fell by 2 per cent compared with the same month last year, amounting to JD21.7 million.

AMMAN — The general Industrial Production Index (IPI) increased by 2.76 per cent in January 2025, reaching 88 points compared with 85.64 points in the same month of 2024, the Department of Statistics (DoS) announced in a report on Tuesday. 

The rise was driven by a 2.45 per cent increase in manufacturing production, a 5.95 per cent growth in extractive industries, and a 4.52 per cent rise in electricity production. 

On a monthly basis, the index recorded a 0.53 per cent decline in January compared with December 2024, when it stood at 88.47 points, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

The decrease was attributed to a 1.25 per cent drop in manufacturing production, despite an 11.08 per cent increase in extractive industries and a 0.5 per cent rise in electricity production.

AMMAN — Jordan imported some 259,000 mobile devices in January and February 2025, with a total value of around JD26 million, according to data announced on Tuesday by the Vision Association for Investors in Mobile Devices and Accessories. 

In the same period last year, imports reached about 334,000 devices, but their total value was lower at JD24.5 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Head of the association Ahmad Alloush attributed this shift to consumer preferences with increased demand for higher-value or premium-brand devices, which led to a decline in the total number imported but a rise in overall value.

Alloush also noted that global price fluctuations, driven by inflation and rising production and shipping costs, may have contributed to the difference.

Jordan's imports of mobile phones in 2024 amounted to some JD176 million, with a total of 1.855 million devices, Alloush said earlier in the year.

At the time, he noted that imports during the first 11 months of 2024 reached JD165 million for 1.72 million devices, adding that December alone saw imports valued at JD11 million for 135,000 devices.

Alloush highlighted a 13.7 per cent increase in the value of imports in 2024 compared to 2023, when imports totalled JD154.6 million. The number of imported devices also rose by 7.5 per cent, from 1.726 million in 2023 to 1.855 million in 2024.

Alloush stressed that the growth observed in 2024 represents a "positive" shift in the mobile phone market, with increased demand and improved values and quantities of imports after years of steady decline.