Dr. Rawan Al Hiyari

Beneath wars, geopolitical tensions, and disrupted supply chains, a deeper transformation is underway: nations are rebuilding the architecture of their interests. Jordan faces a strategic choice: to remain primarily a country managing the consequences of regional crises, or to position itself as an active economic partner in the order emerging from them.

Peace is increasingly intertwined with energy, food and water security. Supply chains have become matters of national security, investment has become an instrument of strategic positioning, and reliability has become an economic and political asset.

For Jordan, the question therefore extends beyond managing the crises around us. It is about defining the position we intend to occupy in the regional economy now taking shape. Wars end, and crises change, but the trade corridors, production networks and partnerships established during periods of transition can shape economies for generations.

The opportunities are substantial. Syria will require reconstruction; Iraq is expanding infrastructure and regional connectivity; Gulf states are strengthening energy, trade and logistics resilience; and Europe is seeking reliable partners and more diversified supply chains.

Jordan should not approach these developments as isolated opportunities. We need a national portfolio of strategic interests that defines the industries we seek to expand, the technologies we intend to localize, the markets we want to enter, and the partnerships required to achieve them.

This demands a more ambitious economic diplomacy. Opening doors is no longer enough. Behind every door, Jordan should have an investment-ready proposition: identified partners, financing structures, local suppliers, target markets and clear employment outcomes.

Most importantly, economic policy must build youth employment into its design. Investment should be measured not only by capital attracted, but by skills transferred, productive capacity created, Jordanian businesses integrated into supply chains, and sustainable jobs generated.

Jordan already possesses strong capabilities in pharmaceuticals, food production, engineering, manufacturing, mining, technology and services. The task now is to bring these strengths together into a coherent national economic proposition based on quality, reliability and the ability to deliver.

Success will not be measured by the number of agreements we sign, but by our ability to convert relationships into interests, interests into projects, and projects into production, exports and opportunities.

Jordan’s strategic choice is therefore not whether change is coming, but whether we position ourselves early enough to help shape our place within it. In a region being reshaped, building is not merely an economic choice. It is strategic positioning and a national interest.

The writer is Vice Chairman of the Jordanian American Business Council (JABC)