Jordan

Tourism is a crucial element of the economy, accounting for 14% of GDP in 2010. Petra remains the country’s major tourist attraction, with 459,629 visitors to the site in the first nine months of 2011. However, the tourist industry was hit hard by regional unrest in early 2011, and many joint package trips to Jordan and neighbouring countries were cancelled. Economic woes in parts of Europe have...

Although 2011 was a difficult year for the industry, the construction and real estate sector displayed encouraging signs of a rebound. This was especially the case in the residential construction segment, which saw strong demand, boosted by mechanisms such as government exemptions on property registration fees. However, fiscal constraints that were the result of the global and regional economic...

The town of Aqaba and the short strip of coast on which it lies represent Jordan’s only access to the sea. This makes Aqaba a strategic location for a range of sectors in the economy, including transport, logistics and industry. Aqaba is also a premier tourism destination, boasting the highest number of hotel nights outside of the capital. Furthermore, its tourism capacity is set to be expanded...

Jordanian manufacturers continue to make up a sizeable slice of the country’s GDP. According to the Central Bank, in the first three quarters of 2011 the manufacturing sector made up 20.3% of GDP, expanding by 4.1% on the same period in 2010. Despite the political unrest that overtook much of the Middle East in 2011, Jordanian exports proved surprisingly resilient, both within the region and...

Unlike many of its neighbours, Jordan does not benefit from large hydrocarbons reserves. Consequently, around 96% of Jordan’s energy is imported, which costs as much as 20% of GDP on an annual basis. Spending on oil imports increased by 80% in January 2012 year-on-year, and this follows a 58% increase in spending between 2010 and 2011. To reduce dependence on foreign imports, policy makers are...

The transport sector accounts for around 12% of GDP and 10% of the country’s workforce, according to figures cited by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in January 2012. The sector has traditionally been dominated by road infrastructure, with Aqaba’s seaport and air transport also playing an important role. The rail system is less developed, though the government is moving...