King Abdulla promises all help to Indians to invest in Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein on a visit to India promised all help to Indian businesses wanting to invest in Jordan.

Addressing a meeting of the Jordanian-Indian Business Forum in New Delhi on Wednesday the king promised potential investors from India all possible help to facilitate their businesses in Jordan, according to a Royal Court statement.

''Let's get things done and, please, do not be bashful with our ministers here. Tell them exactly what you think and what you need, and we will follow up to make sure that happens," the king told an audience of more than 300 businesspeople, investors and company representatives from both countries.

The business forum discussed means to enhance cooperation between Jordan and India with focus on various fields, especially investment, trade, education, industry, health, agriculture, mining, telecommunication, tourism and energy.

The forum, titled "Enhancing investment and partnership", was jointly organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan Investment Commission in cooperation with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

King Abdulla is heading a Jordanian delegation comprising public and the private sector representatives from Jordan and a number of Jordanian youth studying in India.

The Jordanian king, who is on a three-day official visit, on Wednesday met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and also visited IIT-Delhi to explore possible tie-ups with technical institutes in Jordan.

The King noted that the opportunities for Indians – both men and women - to come to Jordan have been facilitated, adding that there are many challenges ahead for Jordan.

But, he said, "It is more important that people of different cultures and different backgrounds energise each other and come closer together, and I believe that our two-day visit here in India will be the new start of a relationship between our two countries".

He thanked the Federation of India's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, and the government of India for "making the trip so successful".

''We're here in New Delhi seeking partnerships with Indian private sector and investors for the Jordanian private sector,'' said Yarub Qudah, Jordan's minister of industry, trade and supply, who saw new business opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, ICT, renewable energy, fertilisers, chemicals, FMCG and media. 

Dr Khair Abu Saalik, head of investment and economic committee, Jordanian Parliament, listed dry ports, modern transportation systems, manufacturing, automotive components and nanotechnology as other areas where Indian investment and collaboration would be welcome.

Speaking on the occasion, India's minister of commerce and industry Suresh Prabhu stressed the importance of bilateral relations, mutual visits, and the role of governments in facilitating bilateral trade and investment.

Prabhu said he would soon be leading an Indian business delegation to Jordan.

FICCI's representative V S Sahney said India and Jordan can easily increase bilateral trade volume to $5 billion by 2025, adding that several Indian companies are keen on investing in the Kingdom across various sectors.

Confederation of Indian Industry representative S Swaminathan recalled the Jordanian king's visit to India in 2006, after which mutual trade volume tripled from $570 million to $1.89 billion in 2014.

He said the King's current visit is prone to boost cooperation and open new prospects for the Jordan-India partnership, underscoring the importance of Jordanian phosphate and fertilisers in supporting India's food security.

President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India Sandeep Jajodia called on Indian companies to benefit from Jordan's strategic location and its free-trade agreements with the US and other countries.

He said the numbers of Indian tourists visiting Jordan is expected to increase after Amman eased the entry procedures for Indian nationals.

On the sidelines of the forum, King Abdulla met with a number of business leaders and CEOs of some leading Indian companies.

During the round-table meeting, the king stressed that opportunities are abundant to expand economic relations, noting that India is Jordan's third biggest trade partner.

King Abdullah noted that Jordan is taking various measures to improve the business environment and attract investment in fields such as energy, tourism, agriculture and filmmaking.

The meeting also covered the renewable energy sector and energy storage solutions.