Industry minister stresses urgency in advancing Jordanian-Iraqi economic city project

AMMAN — Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply Yarub Qudah on Thursday stressed the urgency of accelerating efforts to secure a qualified developer for the Jordanian-Iraqi Economic City project, ensuring the candidate meets the technical and financial standards for implementation.

During a meeting with an Iraqi delegation, Qudah reiterated the ministry’s full support for the Jordanian-Iraqi Company for Industry, jointly owned by the governments of both countries, which is responsible for advancing the project and fulfilling the necessary requirements to begin operations, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The minister also stressed that the economic city would significantly bolster bilateral economic cooperation across various sectors, reflecting the shared commitment to enhancing economic, investment, trade, and development ties between Jordan and Iraq. 

He also underscored Jordan's commitment to boosting cooperation in a way that benefits mutual interests of both countries.

Highlighting the project's potential, Qudah noted that the economic city presents a strategic opportunity to expand economic cooperation, offering benefits to investors by providing access to both Jordanian and Iraqi consumer markets, as well as to countries with which Jordan has free trade agreements.

The Iraqi delegation included Hamed Issawi, president of the Iraqi Industrial Cities Authority and vice chairman of the Jordanian-Iraqi Industrial Company, alongside the company’s Director General Abdul Ghani Fakhri Abdul Jaafar.

In August, the Jordanian-Iraqi Industrial Company reissued an international tender for the third time, seeking to attract a developer for the first of the project’s four phases.