Holding the Jordanian Economic Forum with ASEAN countries next year

09/09/2023

 

  Chairman of the Amman Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, confirmed that the Jordanian Economic Forum with some countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which have permanent embassies in the Kingdom, will be held during the month of March of next year 2024.

He said that the agreement to set a date for the forum came after a meeting between the Chamber’s Board of Directors and the Malaysian Ambassador to Jordan, Muhammad Nasri bin Abdul Rahman, who also heads the gathering of ASEAN embassies in the Kingdom.

He added that the Chamber will host the forum in cooperation with the ASEAN countries that have embassies in the Kingdom, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and the Sultanate of Brunei, with the aim of enhancing trade exchanges between Jordan and these countries and promoting investment opportunities.

ASEAN is a political and economic organization formed in 1967 in Bangkok. It includes the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Sultanate of Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, with a population of 668 million people.

Intra-trade exchanges between Jordan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is headquartered in the capital, Jakarta, grew by 42 percent during the past year 2022, compared to 2021.

According to statistical data from the Amman Chamber of Commerce, the Kingdom’s trade exchanges with ASEAN countries increased during the past year to 1.279 billion dinars, compared to 900 million dinars during the year 2021.

The Kingdom's exports to ASEAN countries are concentrated in chemical industry products, metal products, textile materials and their products, while it imports from its countries pearls, precious stones, textile materials and their products, machines, appliances, electrical and electronic equipment, transportation equipment, food industry products and other materials.

According to a statement by the Chamber,  Haj Tawfiq indicated that it was also agreed, with Ambassador Bin Abdul Rahman, to hold a remote meeting between the Amman Chamber of Commerce and its counterpart in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to discuss coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the two sides, cooperation, and agreement to sign a memorandum of understanding between them at a later time.

Haj Tawfiq stated that the commercial and service sector is keen to strengthen the Kingdom’s relations with Malaysia due to the economic and investment capabilities and opportunities available to it, explaining, “We look with great confidence at our economic relations with Malaysia.”

He stressed the readiness of the Chamber to hold an exhibition of catalogs of Malaysian products and industries at the Chamber’s premises, and also to the ASEAN countries for the purposes of promoting the products to the Jordanian private sector and giving Jordanian investors and importers the opportunity to view the products with the aim of networking between the two sectors and establishing commercial partnerships with Malaysia and the ASEAN countries.

 

Haj Tawfiq stressed the importance of encouraging Malaysian businessmen and investors to come to Jordan and benefit from the investment opportunities available in many economic sectors, pointing to the incentives and benefits that the Kingdom offers to foreign investors.

For his part, Ambassador Bin Abdul Rahman said that Jordan is an important trade and economic partner for Malaysia in the region, noting that relations between the two countries are witnessing great development in various fields, and are based on mutual respect and deep partnerships.

He pointed out that arrangements are underway to organize a joint meeting between the Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Malaysian Foreign Trade Development Council (MATRADE), whose regional headquarters is in the city of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to enhance trade relations between the two countries.

He called for increasing Jordanian exports to his country, such as medicines due to their great reputation, and agricultural products such as dates, olive oil, and Dead Sea salt products because they have a promising market in Malaysia.

For their part, the members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors who attended the meeting emphasized the depth of relations between Jordan and Malaysia in various fields, stressing the need to strengthen them in the economic fields, especially religious tourism, pharmaceutical industries, and education.

They pointed out that the Chamber will work to contact Royal Jordanian to study the return of the direct airline between Amman and the capital, Kuala Lumpur, to stimulate tourism, commercial exchanges, and the movement of merchants and individuals, especially since citizens of the two countries do not need entry visas.

They pointed to the Invest.Jordan Portal launched by the Ministry of Investment, which includes investment projects and information about the investment environment in Jordan.

They indicated the necessity of activating the “Umrah Plus” program with Malaysia, which allows Umrah pilgrims to enter Jordan first and tour the cities of the Kingdom and visit religious sites and then leave to perform Umrah, or go for Umrah and then enter Jordan.

They explained that the program will open new horizons for tourism and will benefit private sectors related to tourism, such as the hotel sector, tourist restaurants, and others.

They pointed out the need to hold a remote meeting with the Malaysian Tourism Companies Association and the Jordanian Travel and Tourism Agents Association, in cooperation between the Chamber and the Embassy to enhance and develop tourism exchange activities between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by the Chamber’s Vice Chairman, Nabil Al-Khatib and Bahjat Hamdan Second Vice Chairman, Board Member Falah Al-Saghir, and its Director General, Hisham Al-Dweik.

It is noteworthy that the Kingdom's exports to Malaysia during the past five months of this year amounted to 20 million dinars, compared to 51 million dinars in imports.