Amman, Nov. 17 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah II redirected Jordan’s economic focus toward the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets during his Asian tour, opening new export pathways and expanding promising investment prospects for the national economy.

The royal tour, which began in Tokyo and included Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Pakistan, constituted a strategic effort to position Jordan within Asia’s dynamic economic landscape and to empower national industries by giving them access to high-potential markets with considerable absorptive capacity.

Over nine days, His Majesty led intensive economic engagements in each country, which included the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding, discussions with economic institutions, visits to major companies, meetings with business leaders, investors, investment funds, and industrial and commercial representatives, in addition to participation in a business forum.

The initiative aimed to strengthen trade, industrial, and investment cooperation, attract investors, and encourage exploration of opportunities within Jordan’s economy. It also sought to establish long-term economic partnerships and highlight the Kingdom’s strategic role in regional and global supply chains.

Economists said the tour marks a significant milestone in His Majesty’s ongoing efforts to build a resilient, competitive economy capable of overcoming challenges and achieving sustained growth. They noted that expanding economic ties with Asian markets diversifies Jordan’s partnerships and supports national priorities in economic modernization.

They told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the tour underscores the importance of advancing openness to Asia, attracting high-quality investments, stimulating economic growth, enhancing the performance of key sectors, and accelerating implementation of the Economic Modernization Vision.

Hajj Tawfiq: Advancing Jordan’s Economic Presence in Asia President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Hajj Tawfiq, said the King’s Asian tour represents a major step toward strengthening Jordan’s economic presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing industrial regions. He said His Majesty is leading a comprehensive economic initiative to elevate Jordan’s standing across Asia.

He said the tour produced practical outcomes that will create a qualitative shift in Jordan’s trade and investment relations with South and East Asia. He noted that His Majesty laid a strong foundation for expanding cooperation in textiles, technology, advanced industries, energy, water, agriculture, medical equipment, halal food, digital transformation, and cybersecurity.

Hajj Tawfiq stressed that the tour reaffirmed the Kingdom’s position as a model of regional security and stability, a gateway to Arab and regional markets, and a competitive investment destination with promising opportunities and incentives.

"We witnessed clear interest from Japanese, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Pakistani institutions in investing in the Kingdom and establishing partnerships with Jordanian companies," he said, adding that Asian companies are increasingly interested in Jordanian pharmaceuticals, chemicals, phosphates, apparel, and food industries, sectors with strong potential for joint investment, manufacturing, and export.

He emphasized that the Chamber views royal visits as strategic opportunities that must be translated into immediate economic gains. He announced that the Chamber will launch a comprehensive action plan that includes forming joint business councils to follow up on the outcomes of the tour and convert them into tangible partnerships.

Jaghbir: Building New Economic Partnerships Chairperson of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, Fathi Jaghbir, said the royal tour reflects a strategic shift in Jordan’s approach to building new economic partnerships with some of the most influential and rapidly expanding economies globally.

He said the countries visited lead major industrial and technological sectors and serve as central nodes in global supply chains, giving the tour a strategic dimension aligned with Jordan’s efforts to diversify investment sources and open access to promising markets.

Jaghbir added that His Majesty’s visits open broad economic horizons for the Kingdom, noting that past experience has shown that the economic diplomacy led by the King yields tangible results in new investments, expanded trade, and strengthened global economic engagement.

He said Jordan’s international economic role has grown significantly in recent years, whether through forging strategic partnerships with major industrial nations, attracting global companies to invest in the Kingdom, or opening export markets in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Jaghbir said the tour reinforces Jordan’s position as a regional production platform capable of serving U.S. and European markets through its free trade agreements, while also seeking to attract advanced industries from Asia.

He highlighted the importance of the tour for the textile sector, noting that Vietnam and Indonesia are global hubs for export-oriented garment manufacturing. With shifts in global tariffs, many companies are looking for alternative or complementary production locations, making Jordan an attractive option due to its industrial infrastructure, competitive costs, and preferential access to the U.S. market.

He said attracting Asian investment in textiles would significantly expand employment, exports, and Jordan’s global market presence.

Jaghbir also stressed that the tour provides opportunities to strengthen Jordan’s trade relations in high-value sectors, particularly pharmaceuticals, which enjoy strong international credibility and seek research and development partnerships, especially with Japan and Singapore.

He underscored the importance of converting the tour’s economic outcomes into concrete programs and implementation plans through public-private cooperation, ensuring that agreements and memoranda of understanding materialize into real investment projects in the sectors where Jordan holds competitive advantages, including textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and fertilizers.

//Petra// AJ