Jordan

The state is pushing ahead with structural reforms that should provide a sound base for future development. GDP is forecast to expand by 3.5% in 2013, while the government has made reducing the fiscal deficit a priority. Trade opportunities with Iraq are also being explored, and longer-term initiatives, including the development of shale oil and renewables, should help to address long-standing...

Home to many important biblical and pilgrimage sites, the past several years have seen significant changes in Jordan, with protests, constitutional reforms and most recently, elections held in early 2013 all reshaping the country’s political landscape. With a Parliament made up of Chamber of Deputies and Senate, the development of political parties is high on the agenda, with King Abdullah...

With one of the best health care sectors in the Middle East, Jordan is the regional leader for medical tourism. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is working to boost efficiency and reduce wasted expenditure through initiatives such as the development of an e-health platform. This will provide an electronic platform for the storage, retrieval and updating of electronic health records, and will be...

Well-educated IT graduates and low operational costs mean that Jordan is emerging as a key regional IT centre. Indeed, part of the country’s appeal for foreign ICT firms looking to relocate is its workforce, which tends to relatively inexpensive. Moreover, driven by new technologies, rapidly rising domestic internet penetration is boosting the segment. In 2011 a rapid uptake of mobile broadband...

The kingdom faced a number of major political and economic challenges in 2011, including high unemployment, rising inflation and a $2bn budget deficit. Furthermore, like many other countries in the Middle East, Jordan is currently in the midst of a series of potentially transformative political reforms brought about by the Arab Spring protests in early 2011. Unlike many of its neighbours, however...