Jordanian-Romanian Economic Forum discusses investment opportunities

AMMAN — The Jordanian-Romanian Economic Forum (JREF) Monday brought together some 20 Romanian businesses and investors and 70 Jordanian companies to discuss investment opportunities, policies, incentives, and benefits offered by Jordan's free and development zones.اضافة اعلان

Organized by the Romanian embassy in Amman, the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA), and the Romanian-Jordanian Economic Cooperation Association, the two-day forum offers participants the opportunity to hold discussions on agriculture, foodstuffs, transport and trade sectors, water purification solutions, security and protection, Dead Sea products, and the marble industry.

Attendees will also hold business-to-business meetings.

"Hopefully, this will lead to an increase in and diversification of trade and more solid economic relations,” Romania’s Ambassador to Jordan George-Cristian Maior told Jordan News, adding that “it is important for them (Romanian investors) to be knowledgeable about the investment environment in Jordan, its policies and objectives, and to discuss directly with Jordanian companies."


(Photo: Romanian embassy)

The envoy said that the forum is meant to diversify and intensify the volume of trade between the two countries, and that Romanian investors are interested in sectors like renewable energy, IT, water management, transportation, and industrial installations.

Currently, the volume of trade between Jordan and Romania amounts to $600 million, with Jordan's imports from Romania outweighing its exports.

Jordan’s main import from Romania is wheat; Romania is one of the leading wheat suppliers to the Kingdom. Its exports to Romania consist mainly of fertilizers, fruits, and vegetables.

"We (the Romanian embassy) want to generate new dynamics because there are many things that could interest the Romanian market; that is why we are hopeful that these discussions will open new opportunities," Maior said.

Jordan and Romania have held diplomatic and trade relations for close to six decades, said the ambassador. More than 15,000 Jordanians graduated from Romanian universities, and many have been holding important official positions, including in government and Parliament.

More recently, tourism between the two countries has been flourishing again, especially since new direct  flights to Romania from Amman and Aqaba to Romania started in 2021.


(Photo: Romanian embassy)

"Tourism is an area of interest for Romanians. I see more and more Romanians coming to Jordan because of the easy access offered by direct flights. Religious tourism, like to the Baptism site, is also important for us," Maior said.

The ambassador expressed optimism about the relationship between the two countries and hope that “Jordan and like-minded countries will collaborate to guarantee stability, energy and food security” in the region, needed now more than ever in light of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"We believe that Jordan is a country with great potential in this complex region, that it could be a hub, taking into consideration its stability and the intention to modernize further, and its wise policies in terms of security and diplomacy," Maior said.

Today the Romanian participants in the forum are expected to visit Muwaqar Industrial Estate and King Hussein Business Park, and discuss the possibility of establishing joint investment projects and build strategic partnerships in targeted economic sectors, according to the forum organizers.

According to Maior, Romania will host a similar event in autumn.


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