Jordan is seeking to attract more international investment by streamlining regulation, expanding incentives and developing major projects in water, energy, transport, ICT and high-value industries. In an interview with IntelliNews, Minister for Investment Tareq Abughazaleh outlines the government's approach to improving the business environment, strengthening capital-market access and positioning the kingdom as a regional hub for technology, manufacturing and logistics. With Jordan competing for international capital as regional trade and investment patterns evolve, Abughazaleh sets out the government's priorities for turning investor interest into long-term commercial commitments.
IntelliNews: Minister, over the past 24 months, the ministry has actively executed its announced executive programme under the Economic Modernisation Vision. Foreign investors in London, New York, Europe and East Asia paid close attention to the June 2026 amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation, which expanded tax and customs incentives to project expansions and reinvestments, not just greenfield capital. How are these legislative refinements, alongside digital single-window processing, accelerating time-to-market and lowering administrative costs for cross-border private equity?
Tareq Abughazaleh: Our priority has been to make investment decisions easier to implement, whether a company is entering Jordan for the first time or expanding an existing operation. Regulation No. 30 of 2026, effective from June 4, responds to practical concerns raised through the implementation of the previous framework: Intricate procedures, multiple approvals and delays.
For existing investors, the threshold for a qualifying expansion was reduced to 5% of the depreciated value of fixed assets, replacing the earlier 25% threshold based on investment size. The definition of development now covers technology upgrades, digital systems and research and development. Incentives have also been extended under specified conditions, including to creative industries and additional less-developed areas.
On the administrative side, eligible lower-risk activities in development Industrial zones can use compliance-based licensing, with subsequent regulatory oversight. Our Comprehensive Investment Service brings authorised representatives of licensing bodies onto one platform, with licensing transactions completed within a maximum of 15 working days. In the first half of 2026, these representatives handled more than 47,000 transactions. We have also reengineered and consolidated 121 services into 94 ahead of automation.
The impact is practical: fewer duplicated steps, greater visibility of costs and a faster route from an investment decision to operations. In the first half of 2026, 327 projects benefited from incentives, compared with 308 in the same period a year earlier.
IntelliNews: Water and energy resilience are central to Jordan’s industrial growth. The National Conveyance Project (NCP) is one of the largest public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects in the Levant. What specific concession structures, risk-mitigation frameworks and long-term yield parameters are in place to ensure that international project finance syndicates achieve attractive, risk-adjusted returns?
Abughazaleh: Water security is fundamental to Jordan's economic future, and the National Conveyance Project is one of our most important responses. The project is designed to desalinate approximately 300mn cubic metres of seawater each year in Aqaba and convey it 450 kilometres to the north, including to Amman. It is expected to serve around 4mn people.
For investors, the project has a defined long-term structure: a 30-year public-private partnership concession with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation covering design, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer. The consortium group is led by Meridiam and SUEZ.
Its financing framework combines private and commercial capital with development and climate finance. The ministry's current information identifies up to $3.8bn in direct lending and up to $900mn in political-risk insurance from the US International Development Finance Corporation (US DFC), IFC, EBRD, EIB, Proparco, Green Climate Fund, IsDB and other partners.
Risk allocation is central to the design. Environmental and social assessments, technical preparations and early investigations have helped address uncertainties before full construction. The project is in the final stages of financial close. We are pursuing a structure that provides appropriate returns for investors, value for money for the government and reliable water supply for Jordan over the long term.
IntelliNews: Institutional asset managers require complete confidence in capital mobility before committing growth equity. The 2026 regulatory updates reinforced procedural clarity surrounding profit repatriation and foreign real estate title holding in designated development zones. How do these guarantees protect international investors from currency friction and operational delays when transferring net profits, dividends or liquidation proceeds abroad?
Abughazaleh: For international investors, clarity on capital movement is essential. Article 5 of Jordan's Investment Environment Law protects the right to convert legally held currency into a convertible currency and transfer it abroad without delay, in accordance with applicable legislation and international financial practices. The law also recognises the right to liquidate or terminate an investment. These provisions underpin the repatriation of profits, dividends and liquidation proceeds, subject to tax and banking compliance requirements.
The Jordanian dinar's longstanding peg to the US dollar also gives investors greater predictability in planning dollar-denominated cash flows. This prudent monetary policy was recognized in the Fraser Institute’s 2026 Economic Freedom of the World report, which showed that Jordan ranked 3rd worldwide in the Sound Money pillar, behind only Switzerland and Finland. Moreover, Foreign and Jordanian investors benefit from equal and transparent treatment under the investment framework. Registered enterprises may acquire or lease land in development zones where the relevant conditions and approvals are met, and investors have access to a formal grievance process through the ministry.
The 2026 regulatory changes complement these protections by simplifying establishment and licensing procedures, including compliance-based licensing for eligible lower-risk activities. For investors, it is the combination of legal protections, currency stability and more efficient administration that supports confidence from entry through to eventual exit.
IntelliNews: Jordan is a regional pioneer in renewable energy, and the enactment of Gas Law No. 16 of 2026 introduced a dedicated framework for green hydrogen, biogas and shared pipeline infrastructure. How does this new open-access regulatory regime de-risk multi-billion-dollar green ammonia and hydrogen consortia, and what fiscal incentives are available to anchor global clean-tech developers in Aqaba?
Abughazaleh: Jordan's new Gas Law No. 16 of 2026 provides a clearer framework for investments in green hydrogen and green ammonia, particularly where several developers need to use the same infrastructure. It addresses shared pipelines, storage and related facilities, with access governed by principles of fairness, competition and non-discrimination among licensed users.
The law also provides a basis for allocating capacity and setting tariffs for shared facilities. Requirements for operational and financial separation are intended to protect users and reduce conflicts of interest. For investors, these are important details: access to infrastructure and the cost of using it must be predictable before a project can be financed.
The Cabinet has also approved a package of incentives for eligible green-hydrogen projects, inside and outside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. According to the ministry's response, this includes a 5% income-tax rate plus a 1% National Contribution, exemptions for qualifying equipment and inputs, relief from specified taxes and fees on project agreements, and a grace period for rental payments on eligible Treasury-owned land, subject to conditions.
Taken together, these measures are intended to help developers structure viable projects while supporting Jordan's longer-term renewable-energy and industrial ambitions.
IntelliNews: As regional trade networks re-align, Jordan is consolidating its position as a resilient logistics hub connecting GCC supply chains with Mediterranean markets. Following recent expansions in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, how is the ministry utilising PPP models for GCC-backed rail links, dry ports and inland industrial parks to attract international logistics operators?
Abughazaleh: Jordan's location gives it an opportunity to connect Gulf trade with the Red Sea, the Levant and markets beyond the region. Our aim is to develop the infrastructure and services that allow more economic value to be created along those routes, through logistics, manufacturing, storage and distribution.
The National Railway is an important part of that work. The Jordan-UAE partnership covers an investment of approximately $2.5bn in the first major phase, linking mining areas, Ma’an with the Port of Aqaba. The ministry's response records the laying of the foundation stone for the Aqaba-Shidiya-Ma'an railway in October 2026. The export cargo already associated with these routes can provide a base for future freight demand. Yet, the longer-term goal is a more integrated system of rail, road, maritime and air connections.
Private operators will be essential. We want partners who bring logistics expertise, cargo networks, technology and capital, supported by appropriate public-private partnership structures. Ultimately, the value of these investments will be measured in more competitive exports, industrial growth and new private investment, not infrastructure capacity alone.
IntelliNews: Recent regulatory initiatives from the Jordan Securities Commission (JSC) aim to ease market access for foreign portfolio investors and strengthen the capital market’s openness to foreign ownership across listed enterprises. How do these capital market reforms complement foreign direct investment (FDI), and what exit options are opening up for private equity funds targeting listed Jordanian assets?
Abughazaleh: Jordan is making its capital markets more accessible while maintaining a consistent framework for domestic and international investors. According to the Ministry's submission, non-Jordanian investors accounted for 46.4% of Amman Stock Exchange market capitalisation at the end of June 2026. That is a significant indication of international participation.
Investors can open accounts remotely and use online trading services. The ministry also reports that listed public shareholding companies have no general foreign-ownership limit, that brokerage trading commissions have been reduced, and that cross-border trading with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has been enabled through an electronic link since June 1, 2026.
These reforms matter because access and liquidity influence an investor's decision from the outset. A more accessible market allows investors to build familiarity with Jordanian businesses and provides potential routes to sell holdings, subject to the applicable rules for substantial share transactions and investment products.
Supported by these reforms and initiatives, the Amman Stock Exchange General Index (ASEGI) delivered a robust 45.1% gain in 2025, ranking 13th worldwide and first in the region on Bloomberg’s market performance data, with the general index sustaining this growth and rising a further 16.2% year-to-date in 2026.
Further proposed changes include licences for market-making, securities lending and borrowing, and depository services, alongside a broader framework for funds and crowdfunding. These are proposals and should be distinguished from measures already in force. Our aim is a deeper, more accessible market that complements direct investment in Jordanian companies.
IntelliNews: Under the National Digital Transformation Strategy (2026-2028) and the INNSAN innovation sandbox, Jordan is expanding its position as the Levant’s technology capital. With competitive fiscal terms, such as a 5% corporate tax rate for domestic ICT and export tax exemptions through 2033, how is the ministry attracting international technology firms, fintech platforms and AI service providers to set up regional operational hubs?
Abughazaleh: Jordan's technology proposition starts with its people: a skilled workforce, strong engineering capabilities and connectivity that allows firms to serve clients across the region and internationally. Our objective is to make it easier for technology companies to establish and scale their operations in the Kingdom.
The National Digital Transformation Strategy provides a wider direction. Innovation-testing mechanisms, including INNSAN and the central bank's JoRegBox for fintech, offer pathways for developing and testing new services within their respective regulatory frameworks.
The ministry supports investors throughout establishment, licensing and operations. Eligible activities may benefit from corporate income-tax rates as low as 5%, while qualifying exported services, including specified IT and outsourcing services, may benefit from income-tax exemptions through the end of 2033 under the applicable regulation. The precise treatment depends on the activity and eligibility conditions.
We also work with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship to promote specific ICT opportunities and provide aftercare once companies are operating. For international businesses, the proposition is practical: access to talent, an investment framework they can assess clearly, and support for growing a regional operation from Jordan.
IntelliNews: Jordan is one of the world’s top ten potash producers, backed by rich phosphate and critical mineral reserves. How is the government structuring co-investment opportunities for international industrial groups to build downstream processing plants, fertiliser value chains and export infrastructure linked directly to global markets?
Abughazaleh: Jordan has an established mineral and fertiliser industry. The next opportunity is to expand the amount of processing, manufacturing and related activity undertaken within the Kingdom, rather than focusing solely on the export of raw materials.
The Jordan India Fertilizer Company illustrates the model. Its partnership between Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and India's IFFCO links Jordanian phosphate to downstream processing and export infrastructure in Aqaba.
The government's role is to facilitate eligible investments through the Investment Environment Law, applicable incentives and the Comprehensive Investment Service. For international industrial groups, Jordan can offer opportunities across an interconnected value chain: processing, fertiliser production, transport and access to export markets.
IntelliNews: Jordan has built a strong reputation as the Arab world’s primary pharmaceutical manufacturing hub. Given the rising demand for nearshoring essential supply chains, what specific incentives and regulatory fast-tracking mechanisms are available to global pharmaceutical and biotech companies looking to establish R&D centres and clinical trial facilities in the Kingdom?
Abughazaleh: Jordan offers pharmaceutical and biotechnology investors an established manufacturing base, supported by investment incentives and regulatory procedures for specialised activities. Companies considering research centres or clinical-trial facilities need clarity on two distinct processes: establishing the business and securing approvals for the research itself.
Eligible projects may qualify for customs and sales-tax exemptions on specified equipment, assets and inputs. Development zones provide preferential tax treatment, and certain research centres and laboratories can qualify for reductions or exemptions in designated less-developed areas. The treatment depends on the project's activity, location and compliance with the relevant requirements.
The ministry's Comprehensive Investment Service coordinates establishment and licensing matters with the responsible authorities. Qualifying strategic projects may also be considered for the Cabinet's single-approval mechanism.
For clinical trials, the Jordan Food and Drug Administration's Good Reliance Practice guideline provides a route for evaluating eligible submissions with reference to assessments by recognised regulators. The Jordanian authority retains responsibility for its decision, and local ethical review remains mandatory. Our objective is to support pharmaceutical investment and research while maintaining the scientific and participant safeguards these activities require.
IntelliNews: As global capital allocators gather at the Dead Sea for the Jordan-EU Investment Conference 2026, competition for international private capital remains high. What is your primary message to European and global fund managers regarding why Jordan stands out as a stable, long-term destination for institutional growth equity in the Middle East?
Abughazaleh: Jordan offers investors a combination of stability, skilled talent, established industries and access to regional and international markets. It is a place where companies can develop operations for the long term and build commercial relationships across the region.
The Jordan-EU Investment Conference on November 19 at the Dead Sea will bring these opportunities into focus. The Ministry plans to present investment-ready projects, including public-private partnerships and major opportunities in energy, water, transport and logistics, high-value industries and the digital economy.
Different investors will find different strengths. Manufacturers can look at production and export opportunities. Technology firms can draw on Jordanian talent to develop and deliver services. Infrastructure investors can consider projects addressing long-term needs in water, energy and connectivity.
The conference is designed to give investors direct access to relevant institutions, project sponsors and prospective partners through sector discussions and targeted business meetings. Our priority is for those conversations to lead to credible projects and lasting commercial relationships. We welcome investors who see value in building their regional presence from Jordan.