Jordan Advances Industrial Sector Plans Under Economic Modernization Vision

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Sept 1 (Petra) – Sectoral working sessions to prepare the second executive program of the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) 2026-2029 continued on Monday at the Prime Ministry, with a session dedicated to the industrial sector under the high-value industries driver.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said the vision places special importance on the industrial sector as a key engine of growth and youth employment and as a fundamental pillar in strengthening the competitiveness of the national economy.
Qudah said the session on the industrial sector focused on building on the outcomes of the vision's first phase through clear executive steps that include preparing industrial infrastructure, simplifying and automating procedures, and providing incentives to strengthen the competitiveness of Jordanian industries regionally and globally.
He said discussions also addressed projects aimed at facilitating the work of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing swift and direct solutions to obstacles they may face, and simplifying or amending procedural requirements to keep pace with developments and changes.
Qudah stressed that these projects are directly tied to the vision's core objectives and expected outcomes in both phases, which were previously presented during sessions at the Royal Court and reviewed and adjusted in line with developing national industry.
He underlined the need to focus on the sector's strategic goals and keep up with global industrial trends, warning that any slowdown in change would make it difficult for individual firms to overcome challenges on their own. Joint efforts, innovation, and the development of institutional and regulatory solutions, he said, are essential to enhancing the competitiveness of local products and elevating the standing of national industry.
Qudah added that the Royal Court workshops provided an important opportunity for in-depth dialogue with industry representatives, experts and stakeholders. These sessions produced a set of outcomes focusing on stimulating industrial investment, developing production chains, supporting innovation, and enabling national industries to access new markets.
He reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to working with partners to translate these discussions into practical programs and tangible results that reinforce industry's role as a cornerstone of the national economy.
Participants discussed key initiatives for the sector and its subsectors, including the launch of a "facilitated manufacturing" program to simplify and automate regulatory procedures through a specialized entity tasked with streamlining all industry-related processes. They also discussed an initiative on entrepreneurship in SMEs aimed at supporting and sustaining small and medium-sized industrial projects by enabling industrial entrepreneurship and providing an environment conducive to growth and stability through new business models, technological innovation and expanded market access. The initiative is intended to raise productivity, efficiency and the sector's overall contribution to gross industrial output.
The session also reviewed new initiatives, such as implementing an industrial policy to build a competitive environment aimed at creating an integrated Jordanian industry capable of producing high value-added chains, providing jobs for Jordanians, and accelerating growth. The initiative includes a comprehensive roadmap for the industrial sector to foster innovation, productivity, competitiveness and diversification of exportable products, thereby creating sustainable job opportunities for future generations.
Another initiative discussed was export diversification and strengthening export capacity by promoting Jordanian products in regional and global markets through specialized export strategies, market diversification, and adopting sustainable production practices. The initiative aims to improve the quality and competitiveness of Jordanian industrial products, integrate them into global value chains via new trade agreements, and attract investment in high value-added industries.
Participants also reviewed the strategic objectives of the sector, which include deepening domestic industrial output to reduce import dependence, increasing and diversifying export capacity, creating new sustainable jobs for Jordanians, and positioning industry as a main driver of employment. The goals also cover enhancing competitiveness by reducing production costs, upgrading workforce efficiency, increasing women's and youth participation, and fostering an attractive, enabling environment for industrial investment. Further objectives include building a national innovation and industrial research and development system, ensuring a stable legislative and regulatory framework, and effectively integrating SMEs into industrial value chains.
The session highlighted key performance indicators achieved up to last year, including the industrial sector's GDP contribution of about JD6.094 billion in 2024.
At the subsector level, participants discussed initiatives to establish a comprehensive national strategy for the chemical industries, attract targeted investments in chemicals, develop and expand pharmaceuticals, enhance the food safety inspection and control system, and upgrade specialized skills for the food industry. They also discussed strengthening competitiveness in the food sector, ensuring fair market competition, and building integrated industrial clusters to reinforce value chains.
Further initiatives included a national strategy and roadmap for the automotive sector, diversification of markets and products for Jordanian automotive exports, accelerating digital transformation and adopting Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, and strengthening innovation and R&D centers in engineering industries. Participants also discussed a national strategy to develop the engineering industries sector.

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