Middle East > Jordan

Jordan

Capital: Amman ; GDP growth (annual %) 2016: 2.0%;

Jordan moves to modernise education sector

Efforts to increase Jordan’s digital literacy rates against a backdrop of changing demographics and skills gaps in the labour market are beginning to yield results.

In early May, the Queen Rania Foundation announced plans to join forces with Google.org, a non-profit subsidiary of the world’s major search engine, to create an online learning platform targeting the kingdom’s pre-university-level students. As part of the collaboration, Google.org will grant the foundation $3m.

Designed as an open education resource to improve access to education for pupils unfamiliar with English, the programme will be delivered in Arabic. While a timeframe for the project’s implementation has from presently on to be made public, the foundation confirmed that the initial phase will focus on creating mathematics courses for students in pre-tertiary education.
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US companies interested in investment opportunities in Jordan Forum highlights projects in Jordan, region

Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said several US companies want to tap investment opportunities available in the country and expand their investments, according to a ministry statement released on Tuesday.

The minister gave the remark in his address at the inauguration ceremony of the Jordanian-US Business Forum on Monday as he deputised for Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

US companies want to learn about new opportunities in the Kingdom and they as well want to participate in reconstruction projects in the nations of the region, while being based in the Kingdom, the minister told the attendees, stressing the importance of the Jordan-US partnership.
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Refinery company looks to expand gas station network

The Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) plans to expand its network of gas stations across the Kingdom, a senior executive told The Jordan Times Sunday.

The expansion in gas stations is carried out through the Jordan Petroleum Products Marketing Company (Jo Petrol), a subsidiary of JPRC and its marketing arm.
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Key Facts: Full name: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Population: 6.5 million (UN, 2010)
Area: 89,342 sq km (34,492 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Jordan dinar = 1,000 fils
Main exports: Phosphates, fertilisers, agricultural products
GNI per capita: US $4,390 (World Bank, 2010)
Internet domain: .jo
International dialling code: +962

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Climate change laws around the world
2017/05/14
There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.

The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Jordan Year in Review 2014
2015/03/31
The economy of Jordan is picking up strength with forecasts for higher year-on-year increase this year and next, while lower oil prices should provide at least a temporary respite from the kingdom’s energy burden.

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Jordan 2013 Energy issues weigh on economy
2014/03/05
While increase in Jordan picked up pace in 2013, the external environment continues to weigh on the economy and could slow recovery in 2014.

Foremost part the government’s foreign challenges is the war in Syria, which has severed land links with trade partners, closed an significant export market and, most significantly, seen Jordan become one of the major refuges for Syrians seeking safety.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as of mid-December Jordan was hosting additional than 565,000 Syrian refugees, though this number is likely to be much higher as a lot of of those who fled the conflict in Syria are not registered with aid agencies.

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Fadi Ghandour founder Aramex in Jordan
2013/01/14
Fadi Ghandour is not much of a yoga person. A one-hour swim gets him going in the morning. He lets go, focuses on his breathing and meditates. At 10:00 a.m. Ghandour, 53, hits the ground running, switching gears between firefighting, attending meetings, talking on the phone, reading emails and tweeting: he has over 15,000 followers.

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