Jordan's investor confidence rises despite ongoing global economic pressures

The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) unveiled the findings of its twelfth Investor Confidence Survey, shedding light on the sentiments of investors regarding the country’s economic landscape.

Conducted in September 2023, the survey covers opinions on the investment environment, the impact of the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) initiatives, and the roadmap for public sector modernization over the past two years.

The survey included a diverse sample of approximately 574 interviews with owners and leaders of large, medium, and small companies across various sectors, including agriculture, services, and industry.

The results revealed that 48.1 percent of investors anticipate an improvement in their economic dealings over the next year. Notably, the agricultural sector emerged as the most optimistic, with 60 percent expressing positive expectations, followed by the service sector at 48.8 percent and the industrial sector at 45.8 percent.

Regarding the broader economic outlook for Jordan in the upcoming year, 36.6 percent of investors conveyed optimism about improvements. However, the survey also highlighted challenges: 67.8 percent of investors reported being affected by rising production input costs, although a majority, 69.2 percent, indicated that they faced no significant obstacles concerning supply chains.

The survey further examined business expansion plans, revealing that 53.7 percent of investors maintained their current business levels, while 17.8 percent reported expanding their operations, an increase from 14.5 percent in the previous survey round.

In terms of public sector modernization, 57.8 percent of investors believe that progress is being made in the right direction after two years of implementation. This positive perception aligns with the forum’s emphasis on the need for continuous efforts to stimulate economic activity for sustainable growth.

In its recommendations, the JSF stressed the importance of fostering a conducive investment environment. The forum urged the acceleration of initiatives related to the EMV and called for encouraging Jordanian companies to list on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE).