Jordan

Jordan is a Middle Eastern Arab state known for its ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. Here is the famous archaeological site — the city of Petra, known since the II century BC.

The official name of the country is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The state is located in the Middle East, on the east bank of the Jordan River. It occupies an area of about 92,300 km² (110th in the world). The population of Jordan is 11,137,763 people. (2023) most of whom (95%) are Arabs. Among them, 35% are Jordanian Arabs, 55% are immigrants from Palestine who moved to the country and received citizenship after the Arab-Israeli wars in 1948 and 1967. Other nationalities: Circassians (Circassians), Chechens, Armenians and Kurds. There are also many Jordanians of European origin. There are a large number of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the country, according to official figures, more than 1.5 million people.

About 95% of the population of Jordan are Sunni Muslims. About 5% of the population are Christians. There are several Protestant communities in the country.

The official language is Arabic, and English is also widely spoken in business, government, and among educated people. Arabic and English are compulsory in schools. The media conduct their work mainly in Arabic and English. Office work is carried out in official Arabic, the press is published, they speak on television and radio, but people among themselves (and individual radio stations) use different dialects — varieties of colloquial Arabic.

The currency of Jordan is the dinar. Administratively, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is divided into 12 governorates.

Amman is the capital and one of the largest cities in Jordan. The city is an important industrial center. The enterprises of the food, cement, oil refining, textile and tobacco industries are concentrated here. The largest cities are also Ez-Zarqa and Irbid. Az-Zarqa is the industrial center of Jordan, where more than 50% of Jordanian enterprises are located. The growth of industry in the city was the result of low property prices and proximity to the Jordanian capital Amman. Al-Zarqa is home to some of the vital industries for Jordan's economy, such as Jordan's only oil refinery. The city of Irbid is the 3rd largest in the country, the largest universities are located there.

Ancient Jordan occupies a strategic position in the Middle East. In the III century BC. Jordan is part of the Nabataean kingdom, whose capital was Petra. Later, Jordan is conquered by Ancient Rome. In the 7th century, the country was already part of the Arab Caliphate. In the 11th century, Jordan becomes a battlefield between the Arabs and the crusaders. It was the crusaders who formed the Principality of Transjordan on the territory of modern Jordan.

In addition, in the Middle Ages, Jordan was invaded by the Egyptian Mamluks, and then by the Tatar-Mongol. In 1516, Transjordan became part of the Ottoman Empire. After leaving it, the Principality of Transjordan was again formed, but it was actually under the control of Great Britain. Only in 1946 the country gained independence.

Now Jordan is an attractive country, which has preserved thousands of unique monuments of archeology and history.

Jordan is located in the Middle East. Jordan borders Saudi Arabia to the east and southeast, Syria to the north, and the Palestinian Authority and Israel to the west. In the west of the country there is the Dead Sea, and in the southwest the Gulf of Aqaba (it belongs to the Red Sea).

Almost 90% of the territory of Jordan is occupied by deserts. Moreover, more than 50% of the country is the Arabian Desert. However, there is arable land and even forests in the west of the country. The highest point in Jordan is Mount Jabal Ram, whose height reaches 1,734 meters.

In the west of the Kingdom flows the Jordan River, which separates this country from Israel.

The amazing history of Jordan is full of biblical stories, the country fascinates with its ancient architecture and traditions, which were influenced by Muslim culture.

According to legend, Saint Mary of Egypt (V-VI centuries) lived on these lands, whom the Christians of the world revere as the patroness of penitent women.

Archaeologists around the world highly appreciate the country's historical heritage, which is being preserved by the Royal Society of Science, founded in 1970. But the greatest asset of the state is the architectural monuments that have been preserved since the 1st century BC and delight to this day.

In Jordan, there is a unique ancient city in the rocks — Petra. It was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which arose before our era. Caravans with spices passed through Petra, finding here rest, water and coolness. Now half a million tourists come to Jordan every year to see Petra.

Among the original areas of applied art in Jordan, embroidery stands out. Complex patterns adorn traditional costumes and surprise with their originality. There is practically no theatrical art in the kingdom, but literature, which is inherent in sentimentalism, is actively developing. Through all art, the memory of the struggle for freedom runs like a red thread, which is especially reflected in the works of artists and musicians.

Jordanians are naturally very friendly and hospitable.

Every now and then you can hear “Welcome!”, and according to the established tradition, the locals may invite you to their house for lunch or a cup of tea.

Greeting and parting are accompanied by a handshake and a touch of the cheeks (but not between a man and a woman). Most gestures are performed with the right hand, since according to Muslim beliefs, the left is considered unclean. Food is offered and accepted only with the right hand.

Jordanian speech etiquette is similar to the norms adopted in other countries of the region. For a European who communicates with Arabs for the first time, Eastern greetings may seem somewhat long. Before starting a conversation, the interlocutor is usually asked the traditional question: “How are you?”. They may ask about health, children, news. All these questions are by no means a manifestation of curiosity, but rather a tribute to tradition. But there is one question that seems to be quite ordinary — this is a question about a wife, which a Jordanian, whether a Muslim or a Christian, will never ask and, moreover, may be offended when he hears it from a European interlocutor. Even men who know each other refrain from such inquiries, except in cases of serious illness of the spouse.

According to the 1952 Constitution, Jordan is a constitutional monarchy (officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) with the King as head of state.

The source of legislative power is the bicameral Parliament (National Assembly). It consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The king has the right to dissolve Parliament. The members of the House of Representatives are appointed by the King himself.

Jordan's identity on the world stage stems primarily from its royal family. In official biographies, it is noted that the ruling royal family of Jordan belongs to the Hashemite dynasty — representatives of one of the main Meccan clans, leading its ancestry from Hashim — the great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad. King Abdullah II, who rules the country, is called a descendant of the Prophet in 41 generations.

The main sectors of the Jordanian economy are mining, agriculture, tourism, including medical, and pharmaceuticals.

Jordan has significant deposits of phosphates, potash, limestone, marble, dolomite, kaolin, and salt. Industry is concentrated in the Amman area. Heavy industries are represented by oil refining, phosphate mining and cement production. Produce clothing, food and other consumer goods. A significant contribution to this industry is made by cosmetic enterprises. Using Dead Sea minerals (salts, mud, their derivatives), about 10 companies produce cosmetic products, a significant part of which is exported to Europe, the USA, Russia. In total, about 60 companies operate in the cosmetics sector.

Virtually all of Jordan's electricity is produced by fuel-fired power plants, most of which run on oil. The three main stations in Amman, Al Aqaba and Al Zarqa are connected by a power transmission system. By the end of the 20th century, the government had almost completed the program to create a unified power grid linking the cities of Jordan. The import of the country's energy resources is 92% against 8% produced locally. The only oil refinery in the country is the Amman Oil Refinery. Gas is delivered to the port of Aqaba by sea or from Egypt via a gas pipeline.

Part of Jordan's land is arable. Wheat and barley are the main crops grown in the rainy highlands, while citrus fruits, melons and vegetables are grown in the artificially irrigated Jordan Valley. The area of pastures in Jordan is limited, their fertility is only enough for raising livestock, in addition, pasture areas have been reduced to planted oil and fruit trees. Artesian wells were dug to expand grazing.

The country has a well-developed tourism industry (thanks to the UNESCO inclusion of ancient Petra in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World).

Jordan is the first country in the Middle East and the fifth country in the world in providing medical services. Every year about 300-400 thousand tourists visit the country just for treatment. There are 119 hospitals and medical centers in the country, of which there are slightly fewer public ones than private ones.

The pharmaceutical sector covers 25% of Jordan's needs for medicines, exports up to 80% of products to more than 60 countries around the world.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has limited natural resources, which predetermines dependence on international assistance. The country's economy is particularly affected by the lack of energy and water resources. The economic situation in the country is closely related to the placement of migrants in the country and has deteriorated significantly since the start of the Syrian crisis, as a result of which over 1 million people settled in the Kingdom. Syrian refugees.

At the same time, Jordan is making significant efforts to reduce external dependence, including through the conclusion of exclusive agreements with neighboring countries, in particular in the energy sector. The Government of the Kingdom is actively developing renewable energy and is trying to diversify the sources of oil and gas supply. In 2017, a new terminal for reloading and storing reduced gas and oil was opened in Aqaba, this terminal made it possible to import liquefied gas from Qatar. In 2019, an agreement was reached on the supply of Iraqi oil at special prices and the construction of the Basra-Aqaba oil pipeline with a capacity of 1 million barrels of oil per day, of which 10,000 barrels will come to Jordan daily.

In 2020, gas supplies from Israel began. The economic policy of the Kingdom is aimed at strengthening the country's position in the region by reducing the level of import dependence, reducing the trade balance deficit, increasing domestic production both to meet the state's own needs and to increase exports. The increase in re-exports indicates that Jordan is successfully securing its role as a trade corridor between the countries of the region.

The government of the country stimulates the transition to attracting investments and launching common production, servicing, pilot projects with foreign partners. The policy of recent years is aimed at improving the investment attractiveness of the country and promoting specific investment opportunities for the Kingdom on various international platforms in order to attract foreign investment in strategic infrastructure and production projects. The country is equally active in this direction both with the leadership of foreign states, concluding bilateral agreements on deepening economic cooperation, and at the private sector level, organizing and stimulating bilateral and multilateral business forums, platforms for establishing contacts between Jordanian and foreign entrepreneurs, providing government assistance to Jordanian companies to participate in specialized events abroad.

There are 14 special zones operating in the country, which have various preferential taxation regimes, customs preferences, and ready-made infrastructure. All zones have:

• 100% ownership of investments in any permitted sectors of the economy;
• assistance in obtaining visas and permits for investors, businessmen and workers, as well as members of their families;
• the possibility of exporting capital and profits abroad.

The Aqaba Free Economic Zone provides opportunities to participate in projects for the construction of railways, storage terminals, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas storage facilities, hospitality, water delivery and treatment enterprises.

On February 20, 2018, Jordan joined the list of states that give citizenship by investment. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a decision according to which a number of investment options are offered, each of which gives the right to obtain a passport. After two years of successful operation of the program, amendments were made in early September 2020 to reduce the amount of investment required to obtain citizenship.

A special factor in attracting foreign capital is the setting of objectives and goals of the investment policy, which for the first time were most clearly defined in the 1995 Investment Promotion Law. The law establishes the principles of taxation, as well as benefits and exemptions provided to investors. The law establishes a mechanism for coordinating and coordinating actions aimed at promoting investment in the Jordanian economy. Moreover, this mechanism is flexible in relation to each specific investor. Foreign investors enjoy the same opportunities as Jordanians.

Regulation No. 54 of 2000 “On the Regulation of Investments for Non-Jordanians” further details the rights and obligations of investors and the recipient country and fixes the regulators of basic tax rates depending on investments in various sectors of the economy. Providing various opportunities to foreign investors, depending on the types of activity, allows developing the most backward and technologically outdated areas of the national economy.