Chambers of industry hail suspension of back-to-back shipment at Omari crossing

AMMAN — President of the Amman and Jordan Chambers of Industry Fathi Jaghbir on Saturday welcomed the government’s decision to suspend the back-to-back shipment system at the Omari border crossing between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and allowing the transit passage of Egyptian trucks to their destination.

Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh approved the decision, based on a recommendation from the committee of organising the field and border crossings. 

In a statement, Jaghbir highlighted the economic and commercial importance of the border crossing to Jordanian exports, noting that “the Omari border crossing is the most significant for Jordanian commercial transport”, as the number of trucks entering and exiting exceeded 334,000 last year. 

He noted that the impact will grow further if the currently closed Mudawara border crossing with Saudi Arabia was included in the government’s decision as well, as there are around 33,000 vehicles entering and exiting from Mudawara border too.

Jaghbir called for implementing the decision with Iraq too, noting that the Iraqi market is one of the main destinations for Jordanian exports. 

The chambers’ president said the trade volume between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, excluding oil derivatives, stands at over $2 billion, of which $775 million are national exports, which covers varied Jordanian industries, highlighting the significance of the Saudi market. 

The importance of the Omari border covers all industrial, commercial, transportation and warehousing sectors, which contributes to the growth of the transit trade that Jaghbir said is a vital source of revenues for the Jordanian economy, boosting it and marketing the Kingdom as an economic gateway to the region.

As the latest government decision allowed transit passage to Egyptian trucks to their destination, Jaghbir said that it will support Jordan’s status as a regional commercial centre, which contributes to making it an investment destination, especially as Aqaba has always been an important economic gateway for Iraq through the Red Sea, closer to Europe and Africa, easing trade between the two countries, and also between Iraq and the rest of the world.