Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision: Between Ambitious Goals and Execution Challenges
Since early 2023, Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision has entered its implementation phase as the main framework guiding the national economy through 2033. The Vision set clear and ambitious objectives, most notably raising real economic growth to around 5.6% annually, creating more than one million jobs over the decade, attracting foreign direct investment averaging nearly USD 4 billion per year, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Jordanian economy. These goals were designed in response to well-known economic challenges, particularly slow growth, high unemployment, and weak productive investment.
However, nearly three years into implementation, a realistic assessment of progress is required. Available indicators through the end of 2025 show that average real growth remained around 2.5–2.8%, well below the path needed to achieve the Vision’s targets. Foreign direct investment inflows averaged only USD 1–1.5 billion annually, while unemployment rates remained high. This reflects a clear gap between announced objectives and actual outcomes on the ground.
This gap becomes more evident when examining competitiveness. Despite legislative and procedural improvements, production costs remain high, productivity is limited, and the pace of doing business is still slow. Although the Vision aimed to elevate Jordan’s position into higher global competitiveness tiers, current indicators do not suggest sufficient progress, indicating that reforms have yet to translate meaningfully into real economic performance.
The importance of time further intensifies this challenge. The period between 2026 and 2030 represents a critical window for achieving the Vision’s goals. Maintaining current performance levels would significantly narrow the room for adjustment in the final years leading up to 2033. Any delay in accelerating growth, investment, and job creation adds economic and social costs and makes the targets harder to reach over time.
In this context, the government has indicated that economic growth could reach around 4% in 2028 if implementation proceeds as planned. This outlook relies on a package of major projects expected to begin implementation in early 2026, particularly in transport, water, and energy. These include railway projects, the development of the Risha gas field as a direct productive investment, and the Amrah City project. While not all of these projects will be completed before 2030, their economic impact is expected to emerge gradually during the execution phases.
However, this early impact is not automatic. Large capital projects, if not linked from the outset to clear employment policies and genuine local economic participation, risk becoming major construction achievements with limited effects on growth and job creation. The challenge therefore lies not in the scale of these projects, but in how they are managed and integrated into broader economic activity, as well as in the capacity of public institutions to implement them efficiently and within clear timelines.
The role of the private sector is also essential to the success of the Vision. It should not be viewed merely as a beneficiary of opportunities, but as a core driver of investment, employment, and knowledge transfer. A stable and well-defined partnership with the private sector, based on clear roles and risk-sharing, can strengthen local content, accelerate project delivery, and transform public investment into more sustainable growth rather than temporary impact.
Looking ahead, there is a clear need to prioritize implementation more effectively. Rather than pursuing all objectives simultaneously, a more realistic approach would focus on a limited set of measurable priorities, particularly job creation, productive investment, and reducing production costs. Strengthening monitoring tools and linking performance to clear indicators will be critical in narrowing the gap between planning and execution.
In conclusion, the experience of the first years of implementation shows that the Economic Modernization Vision remains achievable, but its success depends on the ability of execution tools to convert ambition into tangible results. While regional challenges have contributed to slowing progress, the decisive factors remain domestic, including the quality of management, clarity of priorities, and the effectiveness of partnerships with the private sector. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether the Vision remains an ambitious framework or becomes a tangible economic reality reflected in growth, employment, and overall economic stability.
Since early 2023, Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision has entered its implementation phase as the main framework guiding the national economy through 2033. The Vision set clear and ambitious objectives, most notably raising real economic growth to around 5.6% annually, creating more than one million jobs over the decade, attracting foreign direct investment averaging nearly USD 4 billion per year, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Jordanian economy. These goals were designed in response to well-known economic challenges, particularly slow growth, high unemployment, and weak productive investment.
However, nearly three years into implementation, a realistic assessment of progress is required. Available indicators through the end of 2025 show that average real growth remained around 2.5–2.8%, well below the path needed to achieve the Vision’s targets. Foreign direct investment inflows averaged only USD 1–1.5 billion annually, while unemployment rates remained high. This reflects a clear gap between announced objectives and actual outcomes on the ground.
This gap becomes more evident when examining competitiveness. Despite legislative and procedural improvements, production costs remain high, productivity is limited, and the pace of doing business is still slow. Although the Vision aimed to elevate Jordan’s position into higher global competitiveness tiers, current indicators do not suggest sufficient progress, indicating that reforms have yet to translate meaningfully into real economic performance.
The importance of time further intensifies this challenge. The period between 2026 and 2030 represents a critical window for achieving the Vision’s goals. Maintaining current performance levels would significantly narrow the room for adjustment in the final years leading up to 2033. Any delay in accelerating growth, investment, and job creation adds economic and social costs and makes the targets harder to reach over time.
In this context, the government has indicated that economic growth could reach around 4% in 2028 if implementation proceeds as planned. This outlook relies on a package of major projects expected to begin implementation in early 2026, particularly in transport, water, and energy. These include railway projects, the development of the Risha gas field as a direct productive investment, and the Amrah City project. While not all of these projects will be completed before 2030, their economic impact is expected to emerge gradually during the execution phases.
However, this early impact is not automatic. Large capital projects, if not linked from the outset to clear employment policies and genuine local economic participation, risk becoming major construction achievements with limited effects on growth and job creation. The challenge therefore lies not in the scale of these projects, but in how they are managed and integrated into broader economic activity, as well as in the capacity of public institutions to implement them efficiently and within clear timelines.
The role of the private sector is also essential to the success of the Vision. It should not be viewed merely as a beneficiary of opportunities, but as a core driver of investment, employment, and knowledge transfer. A stable and well-defined partnership with the private sector, based on clear roles and risk-sharing, can strengthen local content, accelerate project delivery, and transform public investment into more sustainable growth rather than temporary impact.
Looking ahead, there is a clear need to prioritize implementation more effectively. Rather than pursuing all objectives simultaneously, a more realistic approach would focus on a limited set of measurable priorities, particularly job creation, productive investment, and reducing production costs. Strengthening monitoring tools and linking performance to clear indicators will be critical in narrowing the gap between planning and execution.
In conclusion, the experience of the first years of implementation shows that the Economic Modernization Vision remains achievable, but its success depends on the ability of execution tools to convert ambition into tangible results. While regional challenges have contributed to slowing progress, the decisive factors remain domestic, including the quality of management, clarity of priorities, and the effectiveness of partnerships with the private sector. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether the Vision remains an ambitious framework or becomes a tangible economic reality reflected in growth, employment, and overall economic stability.
Since early 2023, Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision has entered its implementation phase as the main framework guiding the national economy through 2033. The Vision set clear and ambitious objectives, most notably raising real economic growth to around 5.6% annually, creating more than one million jobs over the decade, attracting foreign direct investment averaging nearly USD 4 billion per year, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Jordanian economy. These goals were designed in response to well-known economic challenges, particularly slow growth, high unemployment, and weak productive investment.
However, nearly three years into implementation, a realistic assessment of progress is required. Available indicators through the end of 2025 show that average real growth remained around 2.5–2.8%, well below the path needed to achieve the Vision’s targets. Foreign direct investment inflows averaged only USD 1–1.5 billion annually, while unemployment rates remained high. This reflects a clear gap between announced objectives and actual outcomes on the ground.
This gap becomes more evident when examining competitiveness. Despite legislative and procedural improvements, production costs remain high, productivity is limited, and the pace of doing business is still slow. Although the Vision aimed to elevate Jordan’s position into higher global competitiveness tiers, current indicators do not suggest sufficient progress, indicating that reforms have yet to translate meaningfully into real economic performance.
The importance of time further intensifies this challenge. The period between 2026 and 2030 represents a critical window for achieving the Vision’s goals. Maintaining current performance levels would significantly narrow the room for adjustment in the final years leading up to 2033. Any delay in accelerating growth, investment, and job creation adds economic and social costs and makes the targets harder to reach over time.
In this context, the government has indicated that economic growth could reach around 4% in 2028 if implementation proceeds as planned. This outlook relies on a package of major projects expected to begin implementation in early 2026, particularly in transport, water, and energy. These include railway projects, the development of the Risha gas field as a direct productive investment, and the Amrah City project. While not all of these projects will be completed before 2030, their economic impact is expected to emerge gradually during the execution phases.
However, this early impact is not automatic. Large capital projects, if not linked from the outset to clear employment policies and genuine local economic participation, risk becoming major construction achievements with limited effects on growth and job creation. The challenge therefore lies not in the scale of these projects, but in how they are managed and integrated into broader economic activity, as well as in the capacity of public institutions to implement them efficiently and within clear timelines.
The role of the private sector is also essential to the success of the Vision. It should not be viewed merely as a beneficiary of opportunities, but as a core driver of investment, employment, and knowledge transfer. A stable and well-defined partnership with the private sector, based on clear roles and risk-sharing, can strengthen local content, accelerate project delivery, and transform public investment into more sustainable growth rather than temporary impact.
Looking ahead, there is a clear need to prioritize implementation more effectively. Rather than pursuing all objectives simultaneously, a more realistic approach would focus on a limited set of measurable priorities, particularly job creation, productive investment, and reducing production costs. Strengthening monitoring tools and linking performance to clear indicators will be critical in narrowing the gap between planning and execution.
In conclusion, the experience of the first years of implementation shows that the Economic Modernization Vision remains achievable, but its success depends on the ability of execution tools to convert ambition into tangible results. While regional challenges have contributed to slowing progress, the decisive factors remain domestic, including the quality of management, clarity of priorities, and the effectiveness of partnerships with the private sector. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether the Vision remains an ambitious framework or becomes a tangible economic reality reflected in growth, employment, and overall economic stability.
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Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision: Between Ambitious Goals and Execution Challenges
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