Amman, March 25 (Petra) -- A meeting was held at the Prime Ministry on Wednesday bringing together the ministers of Government Communication, Energy and Mineral Resources, Industry, Trade and Supply, and the Minister of State for Economic Affairs, along with several media leaders, journalists and specialized analysts, to discuss government measures to deal with the repercussions of regional developments, particularly in the economic sphere.

During the meeting, ministers outlined the government's measures to strengthen strategic energy and basic commodities reserves and ensure price stability, as well as the features of plans to address the regional crisis and the expected scenarios.

At the start of the meeting, Minister of Government Communication and government spokesperson Mohammad Momani said the government is closely monitoring the regional crisis affecting Jordan on a daily basis, just as it does with all countries in the region and around the world. He added that the government has taken serious measures to address its effects and repercussions on the economy and various sectors.

Momani noted that matters are proceeding at a normal pace, stressing that the government’s message in this regard is clear and reassuring and underscoring the need not to pay attention to rumors or misleading information and to verify information before publishing it and obtaining it from its sources.

He also pointed to the efforts of the Jordan Armed Forces the Arab Army and security agencies, which are dealing with regional challenges with professionalism and capability to preserve national security and sovereignty and ensure the safety of citizens.

For his part, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said the industrial and commercial sectors have been operating at a normal pace since the start of the regional crisis, noting that the industrial sector’s contribution to gross domestic product currently stands at about 23 percent, the highest contribution in the past decade. He added that national exports rose by 9.9 percent in 2025, having jumped by 90 percent compared with 2020, reaching a value of JD9.6 billion versus JD5 billion five years ago.

He noted that a key feature of the export sector at present is the diversification of markets reached by Jordanian exports, with exports to Arab countries increasing by 10 percent, to non-Arab Asian countries by 15 percent, and to the European Union by 39 percent, stressing that this diversification supports the sustainability of national exports and reduces the impact of regional developments on them.

He also highlighted the importance of sustaining service sector exports, noting that Jordan is among the distinguished countries in this field and has a surplus in its trade balance.

Regarding strategic reserves of basic commodities, Qudah reiterated that they are safe and stable despite regional conditions, stressing that supply chains are continuing at a steady pace due to the swift and important measures taken by the government in the early days of the war, particularly the decisions allowing the transport of containers via land crossings into the kingdom and cancelling the exclusivity of their transport from Aqaba port for one month, as well as exempting the increase in maritime shipping costs from fees and taxes for six months.

He mentioned that local markets did not experience any increase in the prices of basic commodities during the holy month of Ramadan, despite the ongoing regional crisis. He noted that direct communications had been established and cooperative channels opened with several friendly countries to ensure alternative and backup routes for the transit of goods into the kingdom.

He said Jordan’s stock of basic commodities is secure and sufficient for several months, foremost among them wheat stocks sufficient for 10 months and barley stocks sufficient for nine months, stressing that the pace of shipping and supply from Aqaba port to other governorates is proceeding normally.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh said the energy sector, in both electricity and petroleum derivatives, is operating in a highly organized and advanced manner despite challenges faced in past years when it relied on a single source, noting that reliance today on multiple and diverse energy sources and the development of infrastructure has increased the sector’s efficiency and sustainability.

He added that the kingdom’s energy reserves are secure and that supplies of natural gas shipments are proceeding well, with no problem in supply, stressing that the main challenge lies in rising shipping costs, particularly if the crisis is prolonged and costs continue to increase.

Regarding petroleum derivatives, Kharabsheh said the kingdom’s reserves are secure and sufficient for between 30 and 60 days within normal rates and that shipments are arriving successively, noting that strategic reserves have not been used so far.

He also pointed to the continuation of major national energy projects, foremost among them the Risha gas pipeline project and its connection to the Arab Gas Pipeline, which is scheduled to be completed by 2029, in addition to other projects aimed at investing in natural resources and maximizing the use of domestic resources.

On fuel pricing for next month, Kharabsheh said the government is monitoring global prices, which change daily and have risen significantly in recent weeks, stressing that the government will not adjust fuel prices by the same magnitude as global increases in an effort to ease the burden on citizens.

Minister of State for Economic Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh said that under sensitive regional conditions, Jordan must be viewed as a model compared with its regional surroundings, given the stability and resilience of the national economy despite the many challenges the region and the world have faced over the past two decades.

He noted that the Jordanian economy has proven with every crisis that it is resilient, flexible and capable of progress, pointing out that international credit rating institutions, most recently Standard & Poor’s, affirmed the kingdom’s sovereign credit rating with a stable outlook less than a month ago, reflecting the economy’s ability to deal with regional challenges and ongoing structural reforms.

Shehadeh also presented a number of positive economic indicators demonstrating the resilience of the national economy, including the Central Bank’s foreign currency reserves, which reached a record level of $28.5 billion, an increase of $7 billion compared with last year, in addition to maintaining inflation at 1.8 percent; the financial market rising by 3 percent during the regional crisis and by 1.5 percent since the beginning of the year, with daily trading value reaching about JD9 million; and national exports rising by 9.9 percent, among other indicators.

He said the government will continue building on economic achievements made over the past year and a half, which have increased confidence in the national economy, noting that it has short-, medium- and long-term plans to deal with the regional crisis and maintain control over prices by focusing on strengthening reserves of energy and basic commodities, continuing to monitor shipping and transport movements, and taking necessary measures without haste or decisions that would directly impact the public treasury.

Shehadeh stressed that the government is monitoring market movements and will not hesitate to impose the strictest penalties in accordance with the law against anyone attempting to practice monopolistic behavior.

The meeting included an extensive discussion during which media professionals and economic analysts presented a range of views, questions and proposals for addressing regional challenges across various sectors.

//Petra// AF

25/03/2026 20:15:45