Doing Business in Jordan Guide. Middle East. In the past, there was little foreign investment in Jordan apart from the oil pipelines, but in the early 1970s, the government began offering liberal tax inducements, including a six-year corporate tax holiday for firms established in Amman and a tax holiday of up to 10 years for those outside the capital. 100% foreign ownership of local enterprises is permitted in some cases. In 1980, the government formed the Jordanian Industrial Estates Corp., near Amman, to attract new industries to planned industrial complexes; investors were granted two-year income tax exemptions. Jordan also has established four free-trade zones, at Al-Aqaba, Al-Zarqa, and the Queen Alia International Airport and along the Syrian frontier, near the Jordan-Syria rail link.
Doing Business in Jordan Guide
Jordan is strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region, centrally located between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Jordanian economy is mainly dependent on the service sector which constitutes about 67% of the GDP. The remaining 33% is divided into agriculture and industry sectors accounting for 29% and 3% respectively. The main agricultural products are citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and strawberries. The main industries, that are the largest contributors to the GDP, are the clothing, fertilizers, mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, cement and chemicals. The Jordanian government remains vigorous to increasing incentives to stimulate foreign investments and growth. This Jordan Business Guide is provided by the DK Trade Council.