About Jordan

About Jordan

The land of Jordan and its people have been molded by centuries of passing civilizations. Jordan has always been at a cross-road between east and west, and its centrality has given it strategic and economic importance, making it a vital trading and communication link between countries, people and continents. Situated at the heart of the Arabian peninsula, Jordan is a small country that can be crossed by car in approximately four hours. However, its diverse terrain and landscape, its big ideas and industrious people, impart a feeling of it being larger than it actually is. Jordan's population adds up to approximately 9.456 million. Main cities in Jordan are Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Jerash and Aqaba. The official language of Jordan is Arabic and English is widely spoken. Jordan Television and Radio Jordan both have an English service. French and German are spoken in commercial or cultural contexts with France or Germany. A daily English newspaper, The Jordan Times, and a weekly, The Star, which has a French section, are published in Amman. Jordan is on GMT+2 and GMT+3 from April to September.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities site www.tourism.jo gives a comprehensive look at the country, its history and its people. Do visit the site for more information and a deeper look.

Jordan and I.T.

Source : www.intaj.net

Under the leadership and guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan is well on the way to becoming the hub of information technology in the region. It has adopted the overall goals of developing an intellectually competitive IT industry, one that attracts both foreign and local investments, generates high value jobs and produces substantial levels of export. What Jordan lacks in natural resources, it makes up for in its strong leadership, internal stability, educated technical human resources, open-minded and enthusiastic private sector, and an overall good infrastructure; all of which give Jordan a more competitive edge.

Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j)

In the realisation of a Jordanian IT REACH initiative, int@j (the Information Technology Association of Jordan) was established as a voluntary non-profit, private organisation, with the objective of effectively representing, promoting, and advancing the Jordanian software and IT services industry in the global market.

The association is the focal point for all Jordanian IT industry-related activities and is open to all value added IT related, software development and support enterprises.  

Reasons to Invest in Jordan:

  1. Stable Political Environment 
    • Dedicated and stable leadership in the Hashemite monarchy, supported by a democratically elected Parliament.
    • Guaranteed freedom of belief, speech, press, association and private property.
    • Firm commitment to the private enterprise system.

  2. Free Market Oriented Economy 
    • Economic policies based on outward-oriented, private sector led approach.
    • Ongoing privatisation of major state-owned enterprises.
    • Significant advances in structural and legal reform.

  3. Unique and Strategic Location 
    • Situated at the convergence of Europe, Asia and Africa.
    • Transportation hub of the Middle East.
    • Access to the Red Sea through the Port of Aqaba, and other ports via neighboring countries.

  4. A Package of Incentives and Exemptions to Encourage Investment 
    • Projects are exempted from income & social services taxes by 25%, 50%, or 75% for a ten year period, depending on the location and sector of the project.
    • Imported fixed assets are 100% exempted from customs duties and taxes.
    • Imported spare parts for fixed assets are exempted from fees and taxes, up to 15% of the total cost of the fixed asset.
    • Additional exemption from customs duties and income tax is granted for the expansion, modernisation, or development of existing projects.
    • Hotels and hospitals may purchase furniture and supplies without custom duties once every seven years for renewal purposes.

  5. Access to Major International Markets 
    • Access to the US market, the free trade agreement that was ratified in 2001.
    • Duty & quota free access to the US market through the Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ).
    • Duty free access to EU markets.
    • Access to more than 10 Arab countries through the Arab Free Trade Agreement.
    • Bilateral agreements and favorable protocols with over 20 countries.
    • Member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

  6. Free Zones and Industrial Estates 
    • The Free Zones Corporation manages four fully operational industrial parks located in Amman, Aqaba and Zarqa.
    • Nine private free zones in Jordan employ over 4,000 people in industries such as chemicals, fertilisers, and meat packing.
    • The Industrial Estate Corporation manages four fully operational industrial parks in Amman, Irbid, Al Karak, and Aqaba.
    • Private industrial parks, Al Tajamouat, Ad-Dulayl, Gateway, Al-Mushatta, Al-Qastal, and Cybercity which also enjoy QIZ designation.

  7. Qualified and Competitive Human Resources 
    • Abundant and competitive workforce.
    • Young and highly educated population.
    • 89% of the population are literate.
    • 17% of Jordanians receive higher education.
    • Highly competitive wage rates.

  8. World Class Infrastructure and Communications 
    • State telephone company operates on a commercial basis, with 40% of the company privatised.
    • Choice of privately–owned Internet service providers.
    • Direct Royal Jordanian flights to 54 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, North Africa and North America in cooperation with 10 code-shared airlines.
    • Modern highway network.
    • Major trucking lines ensuring the movement of raw materials to and from the port of Aqaba as well as into and from ports of neighboring countries.
    • Jordan’s port of Aqaba acts as a strategically located gateway to Jordan, the developing Red Sea region, and the Middle East as a whole.
    • A telecom infrastructure that offers a wide range of services such as: PSTN; call free, digital leased lines, ISDN and ADSL services amongst others.
    • Two satellite stations and four mobile operators providing GSM, GPRS and PTT services on the international level.

  9. Attractive Investment Climate 
    • Income and social services tax incentives for up to 10 years.
    • Total customs exemptions on imported fixed assets.
    • Ease of licensing and registration procedures.
    • Revenues on exports are exempted from income taxes until the end of 2002.
    • Export industries are not subject to customs duties on imported raw materials.
    • Free repatriation of capital, profits and salaries.

  10. High Quality of Life 
    • Amenities of modern life are readily available and affordable.
    • High quality public and private education provided in Arabic, English, and French.
    • Health services in Jordan are of international standards at reasonable rates.
    • Developed networking community, active local and international business associations and cultural centers.
    • Traditional festivals, cultural entertainment events, and a wealth of archeological sites.
    • Excellent clubs and restaurants.

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