Raad Mahmoud Al-Tal

His Majesty King Abdullah is leading an important plan through his visits and speeches abroad to make Jordan a trusted place for investment. He believes trust is the main foundation, and capital will follow. Today’s investors want more than just financial benefits or tax breaks. They want to invest in places that are politically and economically stable and predictable. With this approach, Jordan is not just a market or a transit route, but a reliable partner in many economic sectors.

In this spirit, King Abdullah II visited the headquarters of CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the United States, which manages over $500 billion in assets. This visit is part of Jordan’s economic diplomacy that focuses on building trust to attract global investment. CalPERS is a key platform to show top investors and decision-makers the investment opportunities in Jordan.

This visit is part of a bigger picture. Jordan is facing regional political challenges, a slow global economy, and changes in how investments and supply chains work. Despite this, Jordan is working hard to be an attractive place for investment. The country relies on strong local foundations, fast reforms inside the country, and careful openness to world markets.

During the main session at CalPERS, the King shared his vision for Jordan’s economy. This vision is about modernizing politics, the economy, and government work. It balances internal reforms with opening up to the outside world. The message is clear: a good investment environment needs not only laws but also political stability, strong institutions, and trust in the reform path.

The King also pointed out Jordan’s strong advantages: its important location connecting three continents, a well-organized financial sector, and free trade agreements that give access to over a billion customers worldwide. More than that, he focused on important growth sectors like renewable energy, gas, minerals, and smart farming. This shows Jordan is moving towards a modern, high-tech economy that aims for more value, not just lower costs.

The King didn’t ignore challenges, especially the unstable regional situation that affects small economies like Jordan. He said Jordan has kept its stability, continued reforms, and stayed a safe and trusted partner in a difficult region.

Another important point was the focus on people. The King said investing in young people and improving their skills is a national priority. This is done through technical and vocational education in fields like technology, engineering, energy, industry, and health. This approach will help improve productivity and attract high-quality investments that depend on skilled local workers.

What makes this effort special is that the King is directly involved in promoting Jordan’s economy. His strong leadership on the global investment stage increases Jordan’s trustworthiness for investors. It shows that the government is serious about providing a stable, fair, and transparent business environment.

The writer is Head of the Economics Department – University of Jordan – r.tal@ju.edu.jo