Country Profile

According to the Department of Statistics Jordan’s population, swelled largely by refugees arriving from Syria, reached 6.68m at the end of 2014, with Syrian refugees constituting 20.8% of the total. Jordan, however, continues to be a bulwark of stability in the region. This is largely down to the ongoing process of political reform which has been in motion since King Abdullah II ascended to the throne. Moreover, the kingdom has forged strong partnerships with Western countries over the past few decades, particularly the US. Jordan’s multitude of free trade agreements (FTAs) has created a vehicle for both domestic economic development and greater integration with the global economy, and in 2000 King Abdullah II implemented a series of policies intended to accelerate economic reform that facilitated the kingdom joining the World Trade Organisation in that year.

This chapter contains viewpoints from King Abdullah II and Joe Biden, Vice-President of the United States; and an interview with Abdullah Ensour, Prime Minister of Jordan.