Country Profile

The past several years have seen significant changes in Jordan, with the population reaching 6.64m in 2014, swelled in part by refugees from neighbouring Syria and Iraq. Jordan, however, remains stable as it moves ahead with home grown and sustainable political reforms that look to establish lasting building blocks for democracy. In September 2014 King Abdullah II of Jordan re-iterated his commitment to “a gradual deepening of parliamentary government” under the umbrella of a constitutional monarchy. Jordan continues to enjoy strong ties with the GCC countries, the US and the EU. Eight free trade agreements gives it access to over 350m customers in the region and more than 1bn customers worldwide.

This chapter contains a viewpoint from Abdullah Ensour, Prime Minister of Jordan and an interview with Crispin Blunt, MP and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Jordan Group.