Jordan's Ministry of Investment has launched its performance report for the first half of 2026, showing notable growth in several investment indicators, progress in the legislative and regulatory framework, simplified and digitized procedures, and improved services for investors.
اضافة اعلان
The ministry said the results reflect a shift, under the second phase of the Economic Modernization Vision for 2026-2029, from establishing legislative and regulatory frameworks toward accelerating implementation and maximizing the economic and development impact of investment.
The approach focuses on attracting high-quality investments, enabling existing projects to expand and develop, and directing investment toward high-value-added sectors and governorates to support local development and expand the production and employment base.
Investment Minister Tareq Abu Ghazaleh told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the report reflects the ministry's approach of strengthening transparency, measuring performance and turning investment policies and opportunities into productive projects with tangible impact, while simplifying procedures and reducing the time and costs associated with establishing, licensing, operating and expanding projects.
He added that the success of investment efforts should be measured by results on the ground and by the contribution investments make to the national economy through production, exports and sustainable jobs, as well as the economic and development activity they generate across the Kingdom's governorates.
The report showed that 327 projects, including new projects, expansions and upgrades to existing projects, benefited from incentives and exemptions during the first half of the year, with expected future investment totaling approximately JD 711.2 million, compared with 308 projects during the same period in 2025.
Total investment facilitation transactions, including new investment decisions, exemptions, follow-up services and post-investment services, increased from 2,992 in the first half of 2025 to 3,801 during the same period of 2026. The ministry also completed 3,153 follow-up transactions and issued 260 Jordanian certificates of origin.
The ministry prepared a unified guide for incentives and exemptions, updated the Harmonized System codes for goods covered by exemptions, and began developing an electronic system for exempt fixed assets and production inputs in development zones to improve procedural clarity and accuracy while reducing time and costs for investors.
Development Zone Investments See Strong Growth
Development zones recorded notable growth, with total investment rising from approximately JD 5.819 billion to nearly JD 6.9 billion during the first half of 2026, an increase of 18.79%. The number of jobs provided by these zones also rose from around 117,000 to nearly 123,000, an increase of approximately 6,000 jobs.
The number of new investment projects registered in development zones reached 46, compared with 27 during the first half of 2025. Expected investment associated with these projects increased from around JD 60 million to JD 402 million, with the projects expected to create 1,841 jobs once they enter implementation and operation.
Jordan has 20 development zones hosting 1,676 projects and companies, as part of a system aimed at supporting industry and innovation, directing investment toward high-value-added sectors and strengthening the competitiveness of the governorates.
In terms of regulation and compliance, the ministry issued or renewed 56 occupancy permits covering nearly 126,000 square meters. Investor satisfaction with developers in development zones increased from 75.1% to 77.1%, alongside the standardization of oversight and inspection procedures and regular environmental inspections.
To accelerate the transition from licensing to implementation, the ministry introduced an expedited process for issuing construction permits and occupancy permits, becoming the first regulatory authority in the Kingdom to implement the procedure.
The measure reduced the time required to issue construction permits from seven to 15 working days to approximately four days, while project regulatory plans can now be issued within one working day.
These measures increased the total licensed area within development zones from approximately 85,300 square meters during the first half of 2025 to around 111,600 square meters during the same period of 2026, an increase of nearly 30%.
The achievements also included approving the master plan for the third phase of the Dhuleil Development Zone, completing studies for the master plans of Ajloun National Park and the Jerash Development Zone, updating the master plans for King Hussein Business Park and the Dead Sea Development Zone, and converting the master plans of six industrial cities into geographic information system formats.
Legislative and Regulatory Developments
An amended regulation governing the investment environment, Regulation No. 30 of 2026, was issued to simplify procedures, shorten licensing and approval periods, and expand incentives to cover the expansion and development of existing projects, the introduction of modern technologies and support for creative industries.
Instructions were also issued governing economic activity licenses in development and free zones, as well as rules governing the designation and work of representatives of government entities at the ministry.
The decision governing citizenship and residency through investment was also amended to enhance its economic impact, raise eligibility requirements and direct investments toward governorates and strategic national projects.
In investor services, the ministry issued or renewed 1,690 cards for investors and their family members. It also granted six five-year residency permits through real estate investment, linked to investments worth JD 1.38 million.
Jordanian citizenship was granted to 65 investors during the first half of 2026, compared with 29 during the same period in 2025. The approved applications were linked to investments worth approximately JD 72.3 million, while citizenship was also granted to 250 family members of investors.
Government representatives working at the ministry completed more than 47,000 transactions covering residency, visas, entry approvals, work permits, tax transactions, and civil defense, environmental, health, food and drug, and company registration services.
More Investment Opportunities Listed
The number of investment opportunities listed on the "Invest in Jordan" platform increased from 44 during the first half of 2025 to around 120 by the end of the first half of 2026, covering various sectors and governorates.
The ministry also prepared studies and terms of reference for several strategic projects and developed a mechanism to collect, assess and promote investment opportunities identified by municipalities and governorates. It also regularly updates development projects across the governorates to turn local advantages into clear and viable investment opportunities.
The portfolio of public-private partnership projects expanded from eight projects in 2025 to 11 during the first half of 2026, covering transport, energy, water, education, healthcare and logistics.
The PPP Unit continued to strengthen the technical, financial and legal readiness of projects, issued prequalification documents for several strategic projects and completed feasibility studies for three projects, preparing them to move toward tendering, contracting and implementation.
Investment Promotion and Digital Transformation
The ministry carried out investment promotion activities and campaigns in China, the United Kingdom and several European Union countries. These included participation in trade fairs and economic forums, as well as direct meetings with companies, investors, investment funds, chambers of commerce, and financial and development institutions.
The activities aimed to highlight Jordan's competitive advantages, promote priority investment opportunities and connect investors with them, as part of preparations for the Jordan-EU Investment Conference.
The Investment Promotion Directorate received 34 investment applications through its investor relationship management system and helped complete the establishment and registration procedures for six companies. Expected investment reached approximately $97.8 million, with up to 2,165 jobs expected once the projects are implemented and operational.
The ministry also launched an updated Arabic-English version of the "Invest in Jordan" platform after completing technical and operational testing. The platform was linked to an interactive map of projects and opportunities and free trade agreements, while an AI-powered virtual assistant was developed to facilitate investors' access to information and available opportunities.
As part of its digital transformation, the ministry redesigned investment service procedures across six directorates and service units. It analyzed 121 services and consolidated similar services, reducing the total to 94 services in preparation for automation.
The ministry also developed a modern communications system connecting investors and interested parties with relevant officials during and after official working hours. It began procedures for electronic integration with the Income and Sales Tax Department and Jordan Customs to exchange data and accelerate transactions.
The ministry introduced an "Investment Calculator," an interactive digital tool that enables investors to enter the type of activity, project location and investment size and receive preliminary estimates of establishment, registration, labor, residency, energy, water, tax and operating costs. It also provides information on available incentives and allows investors to compare locations and investment scenarios.
Positive Economic Indicators
The report said the results coincided with positive economic indicators. Real GDP grew by 2.9% in the first quarter of the year, while the Central Bank of Jordan's foreign currency reserves exceeded $26 billion at the end of June, covering around nine months of the Kingdom's imports.
Trading on the Amman Stock Exchange reached approximately JD 1.6 billion during the first half of the year. Non-Jordanians accounted for 46.4% of the market value of shares, while total exports increased by 14.5% to approximately JD 6.4 billion.
The ministry said the next phase would build on these results by accelerating the conversion of investment opportunities and applications into productive investments, expanding public-private partnership projects, strengthening coordination between government entities and the private sector, and continuing to develop a competitive and transparent investment environment that protects investors' rights while reducing time and costs.
It stressed that the priority would remain maximizing the economic and development impact of investment across the governorates, with success measured by projects entering production, existing investments expanding, young people finding jobs, local suppliers growing and governorates turning their resources and advantages into sustainable income and economic activity that benefits citizens.
