Kingdom to host EBRD's annual meeting, business forum on May 9

AMMAN — A total of 2,500 participants from across the globe are registered to take part in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) 27th Annual Meeting and Business Forum, set to kick off at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea on May 9. 

The forum will start next Wednesday with an opening speech by His Majesty King Abdullah, followed by a session on the future of the job market held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania, the organisers said. 

“Our theme is 'Energising Economies' and we aim to engage participants with informed, sometimes provocative discussions and debates on a variety of issues — from business climate to economic growth, targeted, profitable investment to environmental protection,” the bank said in a statement published on its website. 

“Jordan is the first country across the Arab region to hold EBRD’s annual meeting,” Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury highlighted during a press conference on Thursday, attributing the bank’s choice to “its confidence in Jordan’s efforts towards development, as well as the Kingdom’s outstanding reform performance in various areas”.

The minister extended his thanks and gratitude to the bank for their decision, adding that “this is an opportunity for Jordan to attract a higher number of tourists while engaging with the international community”.

Heike Harmgart, EBRD director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, stressed that “the bank has recorded a successful trajectory in Jordan with one-billion-euro worth of investments in less than six years,” commending the Kingdom for “becoming a regional hub as a new success story commences with the hosting of EBRD’s annual meeting”.

“We are aiming to give our investors the confidence to keep on supporting the resilience of the country and set the road for further development,” she added. 

“Jordan is currently working on intensifying the communication with EBRD’s stakeholders in order to develop new areas of cooperation in different sectors, including urban transport, renewable energy, social infrastructure, solid waste, water and sanitation,” Fakhoury said. 

Regarding the meeting’s agenda, the minister explained that “this forum will be an opportunity to discuss various challenges at the global level, including the efforts to support economic growth and enhance the business environment of all EBRD member countries”.