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Ranked 10th among MENA countries for doing business, a new Investment Law looks set to offer further incentives for foreigners doing business in Jordan. Policy changes, combined with the rise of Jordan as a stable environment in which companies can operate, have transformed the country into an attractive investment area in the region. Investment incentives take the form of exemptions from income tax and Customs fees that can be granted to either domestic or foreign investors. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Yasmeen Muhtaseb, Partner of Advisory Services, Ernst & Young Jordan.

The government of Jordan has been working to achieve economic stability through encouraging investment, particularly foreign investment. The kingdom’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 mechanism for establishing fully operational companies. The Free Zones Law grants projects and activities conducted within designated free zones various exemptions and benefits.

The kingdom has both a private and a public education system, with high rate of female student in all levels of education. In 2010/11 roughly 1.5m students attended government schools, while private enrolment that year stood at about 380,000. Efforts are also being made to increase the use of technology in classrooms, with the government now requiring all public schools to provide computer access to students from the second grade through secondary school. Numerous initiatives are also in place to spearhead academic improvement, with greater focus being put on aligning education with market needs. This chapter contains an interview with Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President, Royal Scientific Society, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT)

European countries pose a promising market for farmers, as the Jordanian climate is ideal for cultivation of out-of-season produce. The government has made resource conservation a priority and major projects are under way to improve network reliability. A number of initiatives have been implemented recently to increase the reliability of water sources, including a project to pump water from a southern aquifer to Amman.