Al-Qudah: The victory of industrial boards of directors by acclamation is an embodiment of trust and a confirmation of distinguished performance
Al-Qudah: The government is rehabilitating the Jaber border crossing to keep pace with the openness with Syria and to revitalize freight and passenger traffic
Amman6 min read
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Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Engineer Yarub Qudah, affirmed that the victory of several industrial chamber boards of directors by acclamation in the recent elections reflects the distinguished level of performance in serving the industrial sector and embodies the trust these boards have earned as a result of their work and achievements, praising the role of industrial chambers in serving industrialists and enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian products, which contributes to their development, quality improvement, and opening horizons for access to global markets.
During his sponsorship of a meeting on the occasion of the General Assembly's renewal of confidence in the Irbid Chamber of Industry's Board of Directors to discuss the most prominent difficulties and challenges facing the industrial sector, Qudah said that the government is working to rehabilitate the Jaber border crossing and develop its facilities to serve both freight and passenger traffic, preparing it in an integrated manner to keep pace with the new opening with Syria and to serve the interests of both countries.
He added that the border file holds great importance due to its security sensitivity and economic repercussions, confirming that the Jaber crossing constitutes a main artery for the Jordanian economy in the industrial, commercial, and service fields, which prompts the government to give its development top priority and enhance its capacity to accommodate transport and trade exchange movement.
Regarding the Mafraq Development Zone, Qudah explained that the government possesses a vision and a comprehensive plan to develop it by dividing it into three industrial, commercial, and logistics zones targeting storage and re-export activities, noting a trend to convert the Mafraq military airport runway into a commercial runway and link it to the development and logistics zone to serve import and export operations with Iraq and Syria, benefiting from the strategic location of Mafraq Governorate and its proximity to the borders of both countries.
Qudah pointed out that the government is also seeking to establish a logistics zone in Aqaba in light of the congestion witnessed at the port, noting that economic indicators in this direction are positive, especially since the port of Aqaba constitutes a main gateway for imports towards the Gulf states.
He indicated that the construction of the railway, once completed, will contribute to moving inspection yards to the Ma'an port, which provides additional space for expansion at the port of Aqaba and raises the efficiency of logistics operations and cargo movement.
Qudah emphasized the government's keenness to strengthen the partnership with the private sector to upgrade the production process in its various stages, noting that the government monitors export growth indicators on a monthly basis as an important indicator of the development of national industry and its ability to compete, adding that the continued growth of exports reflects the future of Jordanian industry and the ability of industrialists to achieve more accomplishments.
For his part, the Chairman of the Irbid Chamber of Industry, Hani Abu Hassan, affirmed that the Chamber draws determination in its path from the visions and directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in supporting national industry, stimulating investment, empowering the private sector, and providing job opportunities in line with the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision.
He explained that Irbid Governorate has solidified its position as one of the most important industrial and export centers in the Kingdom, as it hosts about 1,800 industrial establishments employing nearly 43,000 male and female workers, equivalent to about 16 percent of the total industrial workforce in Jordan.
He added that the exports of the Irbid Chamber of Industry have witnessed remarkable development over the past five years, as they have nearly doubled from about $600 million in 2021 to nearly $1.3 billion in 2025, coinciding with an increase in the number of certificates of origin issued by the Chamber by more than 98 percent to reach about 15.7 thousand certificates.
Abu Hassan pointed out that these achievements are met with challenges that require continued joint work to address them, foremost of which is the urgent need to expand the Al-Hassan Industrial City after the full occupancy of all available land in its latest expansion and the lack of sufficient vacant industrial spaces to accommodate the increasing investment demand.
He called for supporting efforts aimed at accelerating the rehabilitation of a new expansion for the city by providing and preparing an additional area of no less than 1,000 dunums of adjacent land, which would allow for the accommodation of new investments and expansions of existing factories and contribute to providing more job opportunities for the people of the governorate.
He also called for continuing efforts to address the high prices of industrial land, accelerating the delivery of natural gas to the Al-Hassan Industrial City, developing the labor transport system, enhancing specialized vocational training programs, and simplifying procedures related to industrial work and investment.
He emphasized that addressing these priorities will contribute to unleashing more investment and production potential in the governorate and enhancing the contribution of industry to economic growth and employment, stressing the importance of developing the Chamber's role and services, supporting small and medium enterprises, developing training and qualification programs, encouraging innovation and digital transformation, and enhancing cooperation between the industrial sector and universities and supporting institutions.
He noted that the Chamber will continue to work on expanding export opportunities, opening new markets for industrial products, and strengthening economic partnerships to raise the competitiveness of national industry, confirming that the renewal of confidence in the Board of Directors represents a shared responsibility that requires working with a team spirit and unifying efforts to serve the industrial sector and build upon the achievements made.
The demands of industrialists during the meeting focused on the necessity of paying attention to the Jaber crossing, developing it, increasing passenger and freight lanes, and improving the services provided therein, as it is a main gateway for the Jordanian economy, especially in light of the opening with Syria and the opportunities it provides for enhancing trade exchange and export movement.
They also demanded taking measures that contribute to facilitating the acquisition of trademarks and reconsidering the fines and taxes imposed on establishments that include employees, especially regarding the mandatory enrollment of the worker in the Social Security Corporation immediately, and granting establishments an opportunity to evaluate the worker before completing enrollment procedures, in a way that achieves a balance between the rights of workers and the requirements of the sustainability of industrial establishments.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Dana Al-Zoubi, the Chairman of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, Fathi Al-Jaghbir, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Economy and Investment Committee, Khalid Abu Hassan, the Chairman of the Greater Irbid Municipality Committee, Imad Al-Azzam, and the Chairman of the Irbid Chamber of Commerce Management Committee and Chairman of the Jordanian Businessmen Association, Ayman Al-Alawneh.
