Jordan

As the seventh-largest producer of potash in the world, Jordan is producing around 2m tonnes per annum of this vital fertiliser ingredient. The country is also home to one of the world’s largest phosphate rock sectors, making minerals extraction one of the country’s top industrial sectors and a major support for the Jordanian economy.

As one of the Middle East’s pre-eminent medical tourism destinations and a regional leader in pharmaceuticals production, Jordan’s efforts to attract overseas patients are set to drive growth in the private hospital segment in the coming years.

The government of Jordan has been working to achieve economic stability through encouraging investment, particularly foreign investment. Jordan’s legal framework not only creates a secure environment for investors and encourages investment in specific sectors through various incentive and benefit schemes, but also provides a well-structured and easily implemented...

Over the past decade, Jordan’s business environment has experienced significant and rapid changes in terms of both its complexity and competitiveness in global markets. Increased demand for qualified labour, coupled with growing international competition for resources, have forced Jordanian businesses to remain flexible and become more resourceful.

According to the latest available data from the World Bank, Jordan spent 0.43% of GDP on scientific research in 2008. This was up from 0.34% in 2002, the second latest year for which data is available. Although substantially below levels in the West, this is nonetheless well above countries in the region for which data is available, with Iraq...

Literacy rates and school attendance are high in Jordan thanks to a cultural emphasis on education. Nearly half of those old enough to go to university are enrolled in them. Spending on research as a proportion of GDP is also very high by regional standards. Jordan’s universities have a good reputation in the region and a substantial proportion of their students come...