Dependent on imports and grappling with regional instability and major supply disruptions, Jordan’s energy sector has faced several challenging years....
The Middle East
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Chapter | Financial Services from The Report: Jordan 2018
Regulatory reforms aimed at implementing interna¬tional best practices across banks, capital markets and the insurance industry have been undertaken in Jordan’s financial services sector, which already benefits from stable, well-capitalised and profitable lenders, and rapid growth and diversification in Islamic financial services. Yet, there remains room for improvement. The majority of the...
Macroeconomic growth hit a 25-year low in 2016 as ongoing regional volatility continued to constrain trade, exports and investment. The Syrian refugee crisis has exacerbated existing pressures on fiscal stability and social infrastructure, while public debt has been on an upward trend as the government attempts to cover the costs associated with hosting over 500,000 refugees. However, 2016 may...
Chapter | Country Profile from The Report: Jordan 2018
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is widely seen as a pillar of stability in a region that has been disrupted by conflict in recent years. Despite challenging surroundings, Jordan has managed to maintain efficient political workings and positive economic growth. As a country with scarce natural resources but a highly educated population, the kingdom aims to become a regional leader in sectors...
As ongoing volatility continues to hamper growth in the region, Jordan has made significant progress in preserving macroeconomic stability and reducing its fiscal deficit in the past few years. Efforts to the fulfill the stipulations of a $723m extended fund facility agreement with the IMF continue, and the government may need to pursue more widespread reforms to increase income tax revenues and limit tax avoidance so as to sustain recent momentum.
Although Bahrain has faced economic headwinds in recent years, the modest recovery of oil prices in 2017 bodes well for the future in addition to the non-oil sector driving growth, with activities unrelated to hydrocarbons extraction forecast to expand by 3.9% in 2018.