ACC, ASEAN to host Jordanian Economic Forum in March 2024

AMMAN — The Jordanian Economic Forum, scheduled for March 2024, will bring together a number of countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which have permanent embassies in the Kingdom, President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Khalil Hajj Tawfiq said.

In an ACC statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Saturday, Hajj Tawfiq said that an agreement to set a date for the forum was reached after a meeting between ACC board of directors and Malaysia's Ambassador to Jordan Mohammad Nasri Bin Abdul Rahman, who also heads the group of ASEAN embassies in the Kingdom.

The ACC will host the forum, in cooperation with ASEAN countries that have embassies in the Kingdom, which include Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Brunei, Hajj Tawfiq said.

The event aims to strengthen trade exchanges and promote investment opportunities.

Trade exchange between Jordan and ASEAN countries grew 42 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021, according to ACC data.

In 2022, Jordan’s trade exchange with ASEAN countries increased to JD1.279 billion, compared with JD900 million during 2021, the figures showed.

The Kingdom's exports to ASEAN countries mainly include chemical industry products, metal products and textiles, while its imports from ASEAN nations consist mainly of pearls, precious stones, textile materials, appliances, electronics, transport equipment and food products.

The ACC president said that Jordan's commercial and service sectors are keen to strengthen the Kingdom’s relations with Malaysia due to the available economic and investment opportunities.

For his part, Abdul Rahman said that Jordan is an important commercial and economic partner to Malaysia, calling for increased Jordanian exports to his country, especially pharmaceuticals due to their positive reputation, as well as agricultural products, such as dates and olive oil, and Dead Sea products.