Amman, May 19 (Petra) – The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) recorded strong investment performance in 2023, attracting 211 new investments valued at JOD 240 million, expected to create approximately 11,000 job opportunities across various operational phases.

In a statement on Monday, the company said the new investments were distributed across the industrial and service sectors. A total of 175 industrial investment contracts worth around JOD 224 million were signed, including 88 contracts with existing investors expanding their operations and 87 with new investors. Additionally, 36 investment contracts were signed in the service sector.

King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein Industrial City in Sahab led in attracting industrial investments, securing 61 investments worth JOD 81 million and expected to generate approximately 1,900 job opportunities. Al Hassan Industrial Estate followed with 46 investments totaling JOD 30 million, expected to create 3,800 jobs.

Muwaqqar Industrial City drew 26 investments worth JOD 95 million, providing about 4,700 jobs in its initial operational phases. Al Hussein Industrial City attracted 17 investments valued at JOD 5 million, creating 170 jobs, while Madaba Industrial City secured 14 investments worth JOD 7 million, projected to generate 322 jobs.

Regarding the nationality of investors, the company noted that 63 percent were Jordanian, 25 percent foreign, and 12 percent joint Jordanian-foreign. These investments spanned various sectors, including plastics, engineering, paper and cardboard, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction.

JIEC General Manager Omar Juwaid said the favorable investment environment, strategic locations, and government incentives contributed significantly to the growth in industrial investments. He emphasized the company’s commitment to continuing its expansion and development efforts across Jordanian industrial cities.

Juwaid noted that 2024 has also seen promising progress in attracting new investments, coinciding with the completion of expansion phases and tenders for additional industrial buildings. These developments aim to meet investor demand for developed land and ready-made facilities.

He commended the government’s continued support for industrial investments, particularly in Al Hussein and Tafilah industrial cities, through incentives such as up to 80 percent reductions in electricity costs for ten years, participation in the production branches program, and a 50 percent discount on container port handling fees.

Juwaid also highlighted a new board-approved incentive introduced in 2024 at Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Industrial City in Karak, which includes a 20 percent discount on the base price of industrial land plots. This measure aims to attract investments that support local development and employment in the governorate.

He revealed that the total number of industrial companies operating in JIEC’s 10 industrial cities has reached approximately 975, with a combined investment volume exceeding JOD 3 billion and providing nearly 63,000 jobs.

The first phase of Zarqa Industrial City has reached 60 percent completion and is expected to attract a significant number of industrial projects, positively impacting investment levels and job creation.

Juwaid reiterated his call to investors and entrepreneurs to seize the opportunities available in industrial cities across the Kingdom, benefiting from the incentives provided by the Investment Environment Regulation Law, particularly in Karak and Tafilah, where support is offered to energy-intensive industries.

JIEC is the primary developer of industrial cities in Jordan, owning and operating ten industrial estates: King Abdullah II Industrial City in Sahab, Muwaqqar Industrial City, Al Hassan Industrial City in Irbid, Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Industrial City in Karak, and Aqaba International Industrial City, managed in partnership with the private sector. Additional operational sites include Salt, Madaba, Tafilah, and Zarqa Industrial Cities, with the latter’s first phase initiated in 2023.

19/05/2025 14:42:02