The economy of Jordan is classified as an emerging market economy. Jordan's GDP per capita rose by 351% in the 1970s, declined 30% in the 1980s, and rose 36% in the 1990s. After King Abdullah II's accession to the throne in 1999, liberal economic policies were introduced. Jordan's economy had been growing at an annual rate of 8% between 1999 and 2008. However, growth has slowed to 2% after the Arab Spring in 2011. The substantial increase of the population, coupled with slowed economic growth and rising public debt led to a worsening of poverty and unemployment in the country. As of 2019, Jordan has a GDP of US$44.4 billion, ranking it 89th worldwide.
Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemite dynasty, who have been the reigning Royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is considered a 41st-generation direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
King Abdullah II Special Forces Group, commonly known as the JORSOF are strategic-level special forces of the Royal Jordanian Army under the Jordanian Armed Forces. Founded on April 15, 1963, on the orders of the late King Hussein, its primary roles include reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, search and evacuation, intelligence gathering combat, and the protection of key sites. The Special Forces Group are also charged with carrying out precision strikes against critical enemy targets. The unit is equipped and trained to be able to operate behind enemy lines for long periods without any logistical support, and is considered some of the best in the Middle East.
Aselsan, Aselsan A.Ş., is a Turkish defense corporation headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. Its main operating area is research, development and manufacture of advanced military products for air, land and maritime forces. The company is one of the major contractors of Turkish Armed Forces. Aselsan was ranked by Defense News as 48th largest defense company in terms of revenue. Turkish Army Foundation is the founder and major stockholder.
The Royal Jordanian Army is the ground force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF). It draws its origins from units such as the Arab Legion, formed in the British Mandate of Transjordan in the 1920s. It has seen combat against Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. The Army also fought the Syrians and the PLO during Black September in 1970.
The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF), also referred to as the Arab Army, are the military forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They consist of the ground forces, air force, and navy. They are under the direct control of the King of Jordan who is the Supreme Commander of the Jordanian Armed Forces. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is Major General Yousef Huneiti, who is also the King's military adviser.
The Royal Jordanian Navy is naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Jordan. As Jordan is landlocked except at its southern extremity, with only 26 kilometres (16 mi) of shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba providing access to the Red Sea, its Naval Force comprises 27 patrol boats, and has a total complement of more than 700 personnel, excluding the 77th Marines Reconnaissance Battalion. The Naval Force is under the command of the army.
Water supply and sanitation in Jordan is characterized by severe water scarcity, which has been exacerbated by forced immigration as a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Six-Day War in 1967, the Gulf War of 1990, the Iraq War of 2003 and the Syrian Civil War since 2011. Jordan is considered one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world. High population growth, the depletion of groundwater reserves and the impacts of climate change are likely to aggravate the situation in the future.
Israel–Jordan relations are the diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between Israel and Jordan. The two countries share a land border, with three border crossings: Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba Crossing, Jordan River Crossing and the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge Crossing, that connects the West Bank with Jordan. The relationship between the two countries is regulated by the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994, which formally ended the state of war that had existed between the two countries since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and also established diplomatic relations, besides other matters. Relations between the countries get strained from time to time, usually over tensions at the Al-Aqsa mosque. On 8 October 2020, Israel and Jordan reached an agreement to allow flights to cross over both countries’ airspace.
The Nimr is a family of all-terrain military armored personnel carrier (APC) vehicles, co-developed with Military Industrial Company and produced by Nimr LLC in the United Arab Emirates. The Nimr is designed specifically for military operations in the harsh desert climates found in the Middle East.
The Marauder is an armoured, mine-protected vehicle that is produced by Paramount Group in South Africa. It was launched during the 2007 International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) and Conference in Abu Dhabi, the largest arms exhibition in the Middle East.
The Matador is an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and mine-protected vehicle that is produced by Paramount Group in South Africa. The vehicle was displayed for the first time in 2007, during the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi. The Matador was officially launched the following year, at the 2008 African Aerospace and Defence exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Jordanian Eastern Command is the Jordanian Armed Forces regional command responsible for the North - East front against Syria and Iraq.
The Jordanian Southern Command is the Jordanian Armed Forces regional command responsible for a large area in the Kingdom and defending 4 cities.
The King Abdullah II 3rd Armored Division is a former armored division in Jordanian Armed Forces, active from 1969 to 2018.
The Jankel group of companies has been continually trading since its incorporation by founder Robert Jankel in 1955. In its early years, Jankel provided specialist design and manufacturing services to improve the performance of rally and racing cars. By 1970 Jankel had established Panther Westwinds and was manufacturing production sport cars and coach-built touring limousines for VIP customers. Jankel then diversified into coachwork for the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz, specialising in armoured, Head of State vehicles. In 1997 Jankel branched out into producing vehicles for the UK MoD and Police.
The Desert Iris is a 4x4 versatile and durable strategic auxiliary vehicle. It was developed by the King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau and SHP Motorsports to meet an operational requirement identified by the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) for a cost-effective, light-weight, rapid deployment vehicle which would be used to secure its territorial borders. The Desert Iris can mount a range of weaponry on its multi-purpose weapons tray. This unit can be fitted and removed easily and rapidly, enabling the Desert Iris to be re-configured as required by ground forces.
Maha Ali is a Jordanian politician and industrial engineer who served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply of Jordan from October 2020 to October 2021, in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh.
Hasan Abdullah Ismaik is a Jordanian businessman and Chairman of Hasan Abdullah Mohammed Group, a UAE-based group of investment companies founded by Ismaik in 2006. He owns Marya Development & Real Estate Investment LLC, a private investment company in the United Arab Emirates with a diversified investment portfolio that includes projects worth US$4 billion. He is the Chairman of Al-Ashmal Real-Estate Investment Co. in Jordan; and Chairman of publicly listed Masaken for Land and Industrial Development Projects. In 2014, Forbes Magazine listed Ismaik as the first Jordanian billionaire and the third-youngest billionaire in the Middle East.
The Republic of India and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed their first bilateral agreement for cooperation and friendly relations in 1947. The agreement was formalized in 1950, when India became a republic, and full diplomatic relations were established between the two countries.
