Raad Mahmoud Al-Tal

“True development manifests in the lived experiences of citizens, in the impact they feel in their daily lives and opportunities, their education and healthcare, and the future of their children”. This powerful message lies at the heart of His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech from the Throne at the opening of the third ordinary session of the Twentieth National Assembly. Beyond reaffirming Jordan’s commitment to economic modernisation, the speech sets out a clear set of priorities for the government and public institutions, placing citizens’ well-being at the centre of economic policymaking. It also raises a fundamental question: how should the success of Jordan’s economic development be measured?

The first economic message is the need to redefine development in terms of its impact on citizens. His Majesty stressed that “the interests of Jordanians must be at the heart of every decision, not on its margins.” This carries a significant economic implication. Economic performance cannot be judged solely by GDP growth rates; it must also be assessed by the extent to which growth translates into higher real incomes, productive employment, improved productivity, and better living standards. Growth that fails to generate sufficient employment opportunities or improve household welfare remains limited in its contribution to inclusive development. The real challenge, therefore, is not simply to achieve higher growth rates, but to ensure that growth creates tangible and widely shared economic benefits.

The second message concerns the implementation of major strategic projects. His Majesty called on the government to accelerate the delivery of these projects, recognising their potential to strengthen the national economy and enhance its resilience. However, the economic value of such projects should not be measured by the speed of implementation or the volume of capital expenditure alone. Their real contribution lies in expanding productive capacity, generating domestic value added, creating sustainable employment, and stimulating economic activity across related sectors. This requires evaluating projects according to their economic and social returns, rather than focusing exclusively on financial allocations or completion rates. Ultimately, a successful strategic project is not merely one that is completed, but one that creates lasting productive capacity and generates sustainable economic returns.

The third message places water security firmly within the framework of national economic security. His Majesty's emphatic statement, “Water, water, water!”, reflects the strategic importance of this resource for Jordan’s economic future. In a country facing severe water scarcity, water security is not simply a public service or environmental concern; it is a fundamental determinant of productive capacity, investment, and long-term growth. Limited water resources constrain agricultural and industrial expansion, increase production costs, and weaken the competitiveness of economic sectors. Investment in water infrastructure, improving efficiency, reducing losses, and adopting sustainable resource management practices must therefore be treated as a strategic economic investment. Securing water resources is essential not only for current development needs, but also for protecting the economic rights and opportunities of future generations.

The fourth message concerns accountability and the rule of law as foundations of effective economic governance. His Majesty emphasised the National Assembly’s responsibility to oversee government performance and safeguard the public interest, while firmly stating that no one should be immune from accountability for abusing public office. This message has important economic implications. Institutional integrity, administrative efficiency, and the consistent application of the law are essential for building public confidence and creating a predictable environment for investment. Equally important is the need to shift the focus of government oversight from monitoring expenditure and administrative procedures towards measuring actual outcomes and economic impact. This requires clear performance indicators, defined implementation timelines, and explicit institutional responsibilities, allowing policymakers and oversight bodies to assess whether public policies and strategic projects are delivering their intended economic and social returns.

The King’s economic messages establish a clear benchmark for the next phase of Jordan’s development. Success should be measured not merely by the number of projects announced, the volume of public spending, or the growth rate achieved, but by the productive value created, the employment opportunities generated, and the improvements citizens experience in their daily lives. The central challenge is to transform policy commitments into measurable outcomes, investment into productive capacity, and economic growth into sustained improvements in social and economic welfare.