World Is Reshaping Rules Of Economy - JSF

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF), in partnership with PwC Jordan, launched on Monday the results of the 2025 CEO Survey, during an event that brought together public and private sector leaders to discuss global and local economic transformations.

The event was attended by Minister of Industry and Trade Yaarab Qudah, and Secretary General of the Ministry of Investment Zaher Qatarneh.

The meeting came to combine the "global" reading provided by the PwC survey with the indicators developed by the Forum since 2016 to measure "investment sentiment", foremost of which is the Jordanian Investor Confidence Index according to Al Mamlaka TV.

The results showed an intersection in their overall implications, with a "significant" improvement in confidence levels, as opposed to the "continued" need to translate this improvement into an expansion of investment and growth.

Executive Director of JSF, Nisreen Barakat, said that "the world is going through a phase in which the rules of the economy are being reshaped, as technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitical transformations have become decisive factors in guiding investment decisions."

She stressed that public-private partnerships (PPPs) represent one of the institutional frameworks capable of transforming the vision into practical application, noting that the JSF has worked to develop a "practical guide" for partnership projects and specialised papers to propose projects within vital sectors in this framework.

During her review of the results of the Forum's indicators, Barakat noted that the Jordanian Investor Confidence Index witnessed an increase during the third quarter of 2025 by 1 per cent.

The index maintained its continuous improvement during the first and second quarters of 2025 by 11.7 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively.

Barakat also reviewed the most results of the Investor Confidence Survey in Jordan, is the increase in the percentage of investors who believe that things will be better during 2026 has increased from 36.6 per cent in the previous round (2024) to 57 per cent in the current round (2025).

She added that 68.2 per cent of investors see an improvement in the volume of their companies' economic transactions during 2026. This is the "highest" since 2019, which indicates optimism in future economic activity.

Executive Director pointed out that the percentage of investors who believe that the investment environment in Jordan is encouraging has increased significantly from 31.7 per cent to 45.4 per cent during the current round.

The percentage of those who say that it is not encouraging decreased by 13.7 percentage points, to reach 52.5 per cent from 66.2 per cent in the previous year. This indicates a qualitative shift in investor confidence trends.

Managing Partner at PwC Jordan, Michelle Orfali, said that the results of this year's Global Survey reflect a "gradual" return to confidence among CEOs, despite the continued challenges associated with global trade and geopolitical tensions.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah pointed out that the sustainability of this improvement is linked to the ability of economic policies to effectively enable companies to expand and access new markets.

He said that simplifying rules of origin, particularly within agreements with the European Union (EU), is a "practical" tool for supporting exports and transforming the optimism recorded in surveys into real growth opportunities.

Qudah pointed out that the facilities approved in recent years have contributed to easing procedural requirements and enhancing compliance flexibility, opening the door for broader sectors to benefit from trade agreements.

He added that the next phase requires building on this momentum by raising the readiness of companies, deepening the integration between trade and investment policies, and linking survey results to periodic measurement of the impact of reforms on exports and employment.

The minister stressed that enabling the private sector to take full advantage of existing agreements is a "fundamental" pillar for promoting growth and deepening Jordan's presence in regional and international value chains.

SG of Ministry of Investment, Zahir Qatarna, said one of the indicators monitored by the "investor confidence survey" is issued by the JSF, and has become a measurement tool within the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV).

Qatarna pointed out that growth in the coming phase requires reinventing operating models, accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence, and strengthening risk management and strategic planning.

The secretary general also emphasised that PwC acts as a long-term partner to the Jordanian economy, transferring global knowledge and linking it to the local context, Al Mamlaka TV reported.

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