ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The Jordan-EU Investment Conference is an opportunity for European companies to “start investing and using Jordan as a hub for their future expansion.” It is the opinion of the Minister of Investments of Jordan, Tareq Abu Ghazaleh, who in an interview with the agency Italpress spoke of the Conference on Investments Jordan-EU, scheduled on 21 April on the banks of the Dead Sea. The event is part of a new chapter of relations between Amman and Brussels, opened on 29 January 2025 with the consolidation of a Strategic and Global Partnership (Psc). A year later, on 8 January 2026, a new milestone was laid with the bilateral Jordan-EU summit, in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa for the European institutions, while representing Jordan was directly King Abdullah II. This stage, according to Minister Abu Ghazaleh, represents “a very important moment” for the implementation of the agreement itself. “The Conference will focus on two main aspects in April: the first is the modernization of the Jordan economy, where we are embarking on a new economic vision that plans to further promote the private sector and investments within the country. The second aspect concerns the use of Jordan as a gateway to the development and reconstruction of all neighbouring countries such as Iraq, Syria and hopefully, in the near future, the West Bank and Gaza. Participating in this event is a profitable opportunity for the whole private sector,” said the minister, specifying that a figure of 1.4 billion euros is also planned as a financial facilitation, “so that European companies can expand, start investing and use Jordan as a hub for their future expansion.” Among the sectors on which attention will be paid are infrastructure, energy and technology. “We have analyzed our economy in a complete way and we have identified some areas on which we would like investors to focus. Around the next month will be announced the possibility of contracts for the private sector,” said Abu Ghazaleh. For infrastructure the minister sees “an important change in our logistics and transport network and a great opportunity for different projects, which concern railways, dry ports and cargo airports”. The second sector, that of energy, sees Jordan as a pole of excellence for over 20 years. “We are the first for energy diversification, with almost 27% of our resources coming from sustainable sources. There will be a lot of attention to solar energy, hydroelectric energy, storage and generation of combined cycle electricity. We are determined to strengthen our position to continue to be leaders in this sector in the Middle East,” said Abu Ghazaleh. The third sector, that of technology, is considered by the Minister “fundamental” for employment in the country. ” Jordan has a great young talent and has been present in the regional market for many years. For example, in the last five years, most of the large companies or startups that have gone to a more mature investment phase, are basically Jordanian, 27 out of a sample of 100, and this despite Jordan represents only 3% of the population of the Arab world,” the minister said. Regarding relations with Italy, Abu Ghazaleh defines them as “excellent” since the birth of the Kingdom. “Our first political and economic relationship dates back to 1949, so we have exceeded 75 years of partnership and good relations.
Recently we wanted to intensify economic cooperation, without forgetting other aspects such as tourism, social, education and other sub-sectors,” said Abu Ghazaleh. “The trade balance is unbalanced for Italy, but in recent yearswe have seen a remarkable growth of our export. For example, in 2024 our exports were around 60 million euros, while last year we reached 200 million”, the minister explained. In addition to the economic sphere, affinities are strong in terms of values and education. “ Jordan also has a rich history and Roman culture, which is a great starting point to build further relations in the tourist and education field. A large part of our students study Italian, which allows a broader exchange of ideas and an ever greater construction of partnerships, which can look more like a twinning than two individual entities,” commented Abu Ghazaleh. “We are proud of all this and there is the blessing from both top political authorities: His Majesty King Abdullah and Prime Minister Meloni, who always push for better coordination and increased relations. These will have an impact not only on the economy, but also on the quality of life of our citizens”, the Jordanian minister concluded.
(ITALPRESS).
-Foto Italpress-
Minister Ghazaleh “Giordania hub for the expansion of European companies”
