Chemical companies display products at Jordan exhibition

AMMAN — The industrial sector contributes  24 per cent of the gross domestic product ( GDP), provides 200,000 to 250,000 jobs and constitutes some 90 per cent of the Jordanian exports, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Maha Ali said Tuesday.

Deputising for Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour in inaugurating the 6th Jordan international exhibition for chemical industries, Ali noted that Jordanian chemical industries account for 22 per cent of the Kingdom's total industrial exports.

Jordan has achieved "big accomplishments" in the last 15 years, whereas the GDP grew from $8.5 billion in 2000 to $36.7 billion in 2015, with foreign investments in the Kingdom reaching $1.2 billion in 2015, the minister indicated.

She said the exhibition, being held at the Amman Motor Show, acquired a good reputation as an important economic annual event in Jordan, due to providing an opportunity for the local and international public and private sectors to discuss different economic issues.

Ali expressed the government's keenness to improve policies and laws aimed at enhancing the business and investment environment, and penetrating international markets of more than 1 billion consumers through free trade agreements the Kingdom signed with Arab countries, the US, Canada and the EU.

Khaldoun Nuseir, the chief executive officer of Afaq Group which is organising the three-day fair, said the event provides a good opportunity for participating businesspeople to exchange views and increase the investment and commercial cooperation among them.

A total of 140 companies, 83 of which are Egyptian,  are taking part in this year's exhibition, covering 8,000 square metres. The rest are Jordanian, Algerian, Tunisian, Saudi, Palestinian and Turkish firms.