Jordan Acts as Gate for Arab-Francophone Investment Cooperation
(AWP) - 1- SIGN OF FRENCH-SPEAKING BUSINESS OWNERS CONFERENCE IN THE DEAD SEA
2- HOTEL LOBBY WITH SIDE MEETINGS OF PARTICIPANTS
3- DIALOGUE SESSIONS
4- (SOUNDBITE): HAMDI TABBAA, CHAIRMAN OF THE JORDANIAN BUSINESSMEN ASSOCIATION (JBA), SAYS: “The participation of such a large number of French-speaking businessmen from Africa and France is a good opportunity to introduce Jordan and its investment potentials. There will be side meetings of some investors in fields important for Jordan. As mentioned today, the issue of water is a main one, in addition to topics related to renewable energy and tourism. I believe the gathering will be a success. Over two days there will be agreements signed with the brothers from Africa or with the French side. Jordan boasts major global free trade agreements. It has a free trade agreement with the United States, Canada, Singapore, Türkiye and others. This privilege will offer investors a chance that their investments will not be confined to a small Jordanian market, but rather will include most world countries.”
5- PARTICIPANTS
6- THE PRESS
7- INTERPRETERS FOR DIALOGUE SESSIONS
8- (SOUNDBITE): KHALIL EL HAJ TAWFIQ, PRESIDENT OF AMMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SAYS: “We hope by the end of this conference, partnership contract agreements are signed. We are also interested in transferring the know-how from countries to Jordan and get signed agreements to set up projects in the spheres of energy, water and waste recycling. European countries are known for their experience in these fields as well as renewable energy. We also spoke of training as we have immense human resources. The world has changed and technology has changed too. There are specialities needed by all industrialists. Today, Jordan has opportunities for investment in religious tourism or therapeutic tourism, adventures and filmmaking. We are optimistic about such meetings. The participating countries are very important and they have good friendly ties with Jordan. Jordan boasts a strategic location, which is a strength for the country that acts as a gate to Iraq for reconstruction projects, and also for Syria, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.”
9- PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE
10-DIALOGUE SESSIONS
11- (SOUNDBITE): RADU BOGDAN PENU, PRESIDENT OF THE ROMANIAN-JORDANIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION ASSOCIATION (RJECA), SAYS: “We’ve come here to create better opportunities and have better relations with the JBA, Mr. Tabbaa and Mr. Tarek Hegazy and also to explore the chances in tourism and agriculture in Jordan and to consider investment opportunities in the sphere of farming, fertilizers, grains and vegetables. We will have great relations with many industrialists here to develop the fertilizers industry in our country, establish cooperation between our country and Jordanian investors in fertilizers like Manaseer Group, the Arab Jordanian Company for Water, Agriculture and Land Projects Development and the Arab Potash Company to attract them to Romania and achieve better production for our country. Romania is one of the major friendly suppliers of grains to Jordan. Jordan for us in our region in Europe is like Switzerland. It is a stable strong country as far as stability of banking and finance investments is concerned.”
12- DISCUSSION SESSION AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS
13- DIALOGUE WORKSHOP
14- PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE
15- (SOUNDBITE): SAFA’ AL-HAMAYDEH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FRENCH-SPEAKING BUSINESS OWNERS UNION IN JORDAN, SAYS: “It is a good thing to bring together these distant cultures, not just geographically, but also historically. We are tilting more towards the Anglophone, not the Francophone. It’s a great achievement to bring closer these two cultures and civilizations and the investment, trade and economic mentalities in these two distant sides. We are acting as an initial brick in the foundation stone of a great and long-term structure involving 88 French-speaking countries in the Middle East. There is a huge span of cooperation, whether through partnership contracts, joint studies, media unions and logistical cooperation in all fields. We are going to work on creating jobs and investment opportunities.”
16- DISCUSSION SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS
17- PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE
18- INVESTORS DURING DIALOGUE WORKSHOP
STORY: The Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) organized the 4th International French-speaking Business Owners Conference under the theme ‘Jordan: The Land of Promising Opportunities for International Investors’ with participation of 200 entrepreneurs, investors and economists in different fields.
The meeting, in which a cohort of companies and local, Arab and international foundations will also take part, is very important for Jordan as it offers promising opportunities in invigorating the labor market, holding investment partnerships with the participating countries and highlight the investment potentials of the kingdom, according to Hamdi Tabbaa, Chairman of JBA.
“The participation of such a large number of French-speaking businessmen from Africa and France is a good opportunity to introduce Jordan and its investment potentials,” he said, hoping the conference will be a success and agreements are signed to the good of the kingdom.
Khalil El Haj Tawfiq, President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce, said the conference is important in order to get partnership contract agreements signed and set up projects in the spheres of energy, water and waste recycling as European countries are known for their experience in these fields.
“Jordan has immense human resources and has many opportunities for investment in religious tourism or therapeutic tourism, adventures and filmmaking,” he added.
Radu Bogdan Penu, President of the Romanian-Jordanian Economic Cooperation Association, said RJECA is participating to create better opportunities and have better relations with the JBA.
“Romania is exploring the chances in tourism and agriculture in Jordan and to consider investment opportunities in the sphere of farming, fertilizers, grains and vegetables and achieve better production for our country,” Penu said.
Safa’ al-Hamaydeh, the representative of the French-speaking Business Owners Union in Jordan, said the conference is acting as an initial brick in the foundation stone of a great and long-term structure involving 88 French-speaking countries in the Middle East.
The event aims to reach partnership agreements among the conferees in different domains like renewable energy, agriculture, waste recycling, studies and others as Jordan is considered the gate to the Middle East region.