King, Queen meet IKEA executive

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received Range and Supply Manager at IKEA Group Jesper Brodin at Al Husseiniya Palace, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the meeting, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, King Abdullah commended IKEA’s work to establish development projects concerned with industries and handicrafts, especially manual and automated carpet weaving, which he said could provide jobs as part of IKEA’s plan to support communities hosting refugees. 

Brodin commended the competitive features the Jordanian economy provides and the Kingdom’s investment environment, stressing the importance of Jordan’s market as a destination for various global companies.

IKEA has donated tens of thousands of energy saving lighting units as part of the Clinton Global Initiative, according to the statement. 

The group looks forward to contributing to the creation of more jobs by establishing investment projects as part of its efforts to minimise the challenges facing the region, Brodin told the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The executive said the group will work through partnerships to empower entrepreneurs and small businesses, and to ensure their sustainability.

He said the group will work on producing new designs for its products through a project in partnership with various Jordanian institutions. 

IKEA is one of the largest furniture manufacturing companies around the world. Its branch in Jordan was opened in March 2014, according to Petra.