Entrenching Jordanian-Saudi strategic partnership

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh’s two-day working visit to Riyadh brought fresh vigour into Jordanian-Saudi ties. 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received the prime minister on Tuesday, where Khaswaneh, leading a ministerial delegation, affirmed Saudi Arabia’s distinguished standing in Jordan. 

The visit proved a testament to the continuous development of Jordanian-Saudi ties under the guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the follow-up of HRH Crown Prince Hussein and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

A slew of ministerial meetings covered the strategic partnership and a number of proposed projects with the potential to consolidate bilateral cooperation in the investment, trade, energy, water and transport sectors.

As the ramifications of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis take a toll on the energy and food markets, especially along the path to recovery from the pandemic, Saudi Arabia’s contributions are instrumental in driving Jordan’s economic engine forward.

As the Kingdom moves forward with its sweeping Economic Modernisation Vision and associated reform efforts, Saudi development and investment projects constitute a welcome contribution to progress.

Both parties agreed to schedule Jordanian-Saudi Joint Committee meetings during the first quarter of 2023. The meetings are intended to finalise a number of decisions regarding continued communication and joint follow-up on a plethora of issues of mutual importance.  

In terms of current bilateral cooperation, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in June signed a $400 million project to advance the healthcare and medical education in Jordan. Under the scheme, a 330-bed university hospital will be constructed on the Airport Road, near the Ghamadan area. The facility will include 72 outpatient clinics and a medical school with a total capacity for 600 students and a projected annual intake of 100 students. The project is expected to create more than 5,000 employment opportunities locally. 

It is also worth mentioning that the volume of Jordanian-Saudi trade reached nearly JD3 billion in 2021, and increased 35 per cent in the first three quarters of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021.

Saudi Arabia is considered one of the strongest sources of investment in the Kingdom, with total investments at an estimated value of $12 billion. 

The high-level delegation’s visit augments the consolidation of bilateral economic cooperation and presents ample opportunities to unite Saudi investment with Jordan’s highly skilled pool of human capital.