The Middle East

The privatisation of state companies is almost always a process fraught with competing concerns. However, while controversies attached to the sale of state assets are ubiquitous, Jordan is unique in the region in its assessment of its privatisation programme. The last year has seen the completion of a painstaking evaluation process of nearly 20 privatisation deals...

There are several reasons why external aid plays such an important role in Jordan’s economy. The country’s modest geographic footprint and dearth of natural resources are chief among them, as is Jordan’s position between Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. There are myriad geopolitical reasons why regional and global donors have determined that a stable Jordan is...

Jordan’s proximity to Iraq is of interest to the nation’s economic planners for obvious reasons. The troubled neighbour boasts proven oil reserves of 150bn barrels as of 2013, according to BP’s “Statistical Review of World Energy”, which are the third largest in the region, behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. With a population estimated by the World Bank at 33m, Iraq...

It is hard to overstate the importance of the role played by Jordan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wider economy. The nation’s historical role as safe haven in a politically turbulent region has seen it welcome migrants from far and wide, most notably Palestine, Iraq and – more recently – Syria. Many have brought their capital with them, and deployed...