
Jordan: 2.7% GDP growth recorded in Q1of 2025 despite regional turbulence
DoS report highlighted broad-based sectoral growth despite ongoing regional instability and its ripple effects on Jordan's economy, reflecting what experts have described as the outcome of "prudent economic policies."
Despite ongoing regional instability and its impact on international economic conditions, most economic sectors in the Kingdom recorded positive growth during the first quarter of the year, the report said.
The figures, the report said, align with the objectives of the Economic Modernisation Vision, which aims to sustain and gradually accelerate economic growth across key sectors.
The agriculture sector led the growth chart, posting an 8.1 per cent expansion with contribution of 0.45 percentage points to overall GDP growth. The electricity and water sector followed with 5.8 per cent growth, adding 0.08 percentage points, while the manufacturing sector grew by 5.1 per cent, contributing the highest among all sectors at 0.88 percentage points.
Social and personal services also performed positively, recording a 3.4 per cent growth rate and contributing 0.27 percentage points.
The manufacturing sector emerged as the largest contributor to GDP growth, followed by agriculture and the finance, insurance, and real estate services sector.
Foreign trade performance
Jordan's national exports increased by 10.6 per cent in the first third of 2025, reaching JD2.752 billion, compared to JD2.488 billion during the same period in 2024. Re-exports also rose by 10 per cent, amounting to JD268 million, up from JD260 million a year earlier.
According to the monthly foreign trade report issued by the Department of Statistics (DoS) on Sunday, overall exports totaled JD3.038 billion, marking a 10.6 per cent increase from JD2.748 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.
Meanwhile, imports during the same period climbed by 12.7 per cent, reaching JD6.554 billion, compared to JD5.818 billion in 2024.
Jordan's foreign reserves remained strong, standing at $22.8 billion at the end of May, enough to cover the Kingdom's imports of goods and services for approximately 8.8 months.
Inflation remained contained, averaging around 2 per cent during the first five months of 2025, further contributing to the country's overall economic stability.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arabian Business
12 minutes ago
- Arabian Business
UAE real estate: Abu Dhabi to add over 11,900 new homes by end of 2025 amid rising housing demand
Abu Dhabi will add 11,900 new homes to its residential real estate inventory by the end of 2025, but population growth and increased investor interest could mean that demand for housing outpaces supply, according to real estate advisory and property consultant Cavendish Maxwell. The UAE capital delivered 600 new residential properties in Q1 this year, meaning a total of 12,500 new homes will come to the market by the end of 2025. Another 7,000 are in the pipeline for Abu Dhabi in 2026, Cavendish Maxwell said. Strong demand boosts Abu Dhabi property prices Cavendish Maxwell's report on the Abu Dhabi residential real estate sector shows that in Q1 2025, sales values reached AED 3.7 billion across 1,300 transactions. Buyers paid an average AED 2.5 million per property – the highest quarterly value since Q1 2022. Apartment prices were up 12.3 per cent on last year, and 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter, whilst villas were 12.5 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively. Ready property transactions increased year-on-year and are most in demand, accounting for 900 transactions worth a total AED 2.3 billion. Mortgage values hit AED 1.7 billion across 800 loans. Whilst ready property volumes and values were up compared to the same period last year, they were down quarter-on-quarter, potentially reflecting reduced activity post-festive season and less trading during Ramadan and Eid. Andrew Laver, Cavendish Maxwell Associate Director – Abu Dhabi, said: 'The UAE capital is seeing a notable shift towards the secondary residential market, with sustained demand for ready homes and fewer off-plan project launches compared to previous quarters. The average sales transaction reached a record AED 2.5 million in Q1, with encouraging signs of broader price appreciation – a trend we expect to continue in the months ahead. Robust bank activity and strong project delivery during the early part of the year underscore the resilience and dynamism of the Abu Dhabi real estate sector.' There were 1,300 residential real estate transactions in Q1, with sales values reaching AED 3.7 billion. The majority – 900 – of these were for ready units, with off-plan properties accounting for 400 deals. Off-plan activity declined year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, mainly because of fewer off-plan launches. Sales of ready properties increased year-on-year. The reduction in transaction volumes was mirrored by a decline in sales values. Despite the slowdown, the average ticket price on ready sales hit AED 2.5 million – the highest recorded value since Q1 2022. Apartments, villas and townhouses all saw price increases of over 12 per cent year-on-year. Quarter-on-quarter, apartment prices were up 4.1 per cent and villas/townhouses 2.4 per cent. Buyer activity continues to be driven by growing investor confidence, end-user interest, a macroeconomic environment and rental yields. In addition, initiatives from the Abu Dhabi government and developers – including payment plans, infrastructure development, long-term residency options and schemes to enhance quality of life in the capital – are stimulating real estate sales and supporting price growth. The biggest prices rise for villas was in Yas Island (15.5 per cent year-on-year, 3.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter), followed by Saadiyat Island (1.0 per cent and 2.3 per cent). Al Reef prices rose 4.4 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. Whilst apartment sales continue to dominate Abu Dhabi's residential sector, their market share fell year-on-year, indicating a shift towards villas and townhouses, whose market share showed both an annual and quarterly increase. Growing demand for villas and townhouses is largely from end-users, and in particular from families potentially seeking more space, a garden and place to live long-term. AED 1.7 billion worth of mortgages across 800 individual loans were secured in Q1, with transactions on villas and townhouses up almost 60 per cent year-on-year and 3.5 per cent compared to the previous quarter, reinforcing higher demand for these properties and a shift towards end-users. By contrast, there was a decline in mortgage lending for apartments.


Arabian Business
12 minutes ago
- Arabian Business
World Trade Resource CEO on bringing cultural intelligence to drive better business performance
Stephan Branch is no stranger to global boardrooms. He's led multi-billion-dollar companies, taken organisations public, and worked in over 50 countries across five continents. Now, as CEO of World Trade Resource (WTR), a global consulting firm helping multinational organisations optimise performance, he's bringing his global expertise in cultural intelligence to the UAE with a bolder message. Relationship-building isn't optional. It's the engine of performance. With a childhood shaped by exchange students in the house and professional life on five continents, Branch brings a rare blend of lived experience and executive leadership to the challenges of globalisation. At a time when the UAE is increasingly becoming a nexus for international commerce and innovation, he explains how global businesses are being encouraged to operate here. WTR is known for tracking tens of thousands of culturally relevant metrics across nations, sectors, and teams to improve workplace outcomes, leadership effectiveness, and business performance. 'We don't just look at demographics or surface behaviours,' Branch explains. 'We dig into how people view time, hierarchy, trust, and success, and how those views affect everything from negotiations to employee retention.' In the UAE, for instance, where the workforce and executive landscape is profoundly international and relational, that kind of understanding is not just useful; it's essential. 'In a place like Dubai, if you walk into a room and expect to be treated as an equal on your resume alone, without building credibility or connection, you'll be politely ignored,' Branch says. 'Hierarchy and respect matter. So does taking the time to get to know someone: about their family, their background, what drives them. That's where the real business starts.' Branch shares the example of a business leader failing, not because they lacked skills, but because they misread the cultural environment when moving from Milan to Barcelona. 'She would assume Spain would operate similarly to Northern Italy. But her entire education was Germanic in structure: transactional, linear, and results-driven. She has never allocated time to build relationships with her team. In Spain, that will be seen as dismissive,' he recalls. 'Six months down the line, she would be floundering, and her team disengaged.' The WTR CEO gives another instance wherein an executive from Paris might fail after relocating to Montreal. He shares: 'One would think that speaking French is enough. But Quebecois culture is more egalitarian. Titles don't carry as much weight there. You have to earn your team's buy-in personally. If the executive doesn't, it would derail their career.' Branch further explains that this is not optional. For him, labelling cultural intelligence as such undermines its value. He says, 'Cultural competency impacts mergers and acquisitions, branding, sales, leadership, team cohesion; everything that hits your bottom line.' And he's right. He's observed this himself: organisations that fail to adapt their leadership and internal culture across regions see dips in performance, morale, and even market share. And that's especially dangerous in a place like the UAE, where reputation and relationship precede results. 'You won't get traction here with a US or German-style transactional mindset. You must adapt your leadership and build relational capital. That's how deals get done,' Branch states. As more companies build globally distributed teams, Branch sees an urgent need for internal alignment. He says, 'I've seen different teams in different countries. Each one interprets time, status, hierarchy, and trust differently. No one trains leaders for that. You won't get results unless you create a unifying, inclusive internal culture that still respects regional nuances.' Through WTR's team profiling and Branch's decades of expertise, companies are able to assess how cultural expectations play out inside their teams, not just between countries but between individuals. 'Cultural norms aren't static. You might have a Brazilian on your team raised in South Africa with a German business education. That's a unique combination. We train leaders to lead that person, not a stereotype,' he says. Branch further points to 'status attainment' as a cultural difference. 'In the US or Scandinavia, success is defined by position and achievement. But in the Middle East or Latin cultures, it's balanced with community, legacy, and family. Leaders will need to tap into that to truly connect without rushing the process and losing credibility as well as the deal,' he shares. Stephan Branch isn't asking companies to slow down. He's showing them how to go faster by getting smarter. 'This is about achieving optimum performance,' he says. 'If you're not embedding cultural intelligence into how you lead, manage, and grow globally, you're leaving money, talent, and opportunity on the table.' As UAE-based firms continue to expand across borders and as foreign companies seek to grow within the Gulf, he has one message: 'You can't lead globally until you learn how to connect locally.'


Zawya
18 minutes ago
- Zawya
Union Coop confirms summer readiness
It stated that product selections are curated to appeal to a wide range of tastes, with specific adjustments made at certain branches to meet the needs of the surrounding community. Dubai, UAE: Popular retailer 'Union Coop' has reaffirmed its preparedness for the summer season by offering a wide range of high-quality products tailored to meet the needs of travelers, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the shopping experience and cater to the diverse demands of its customer base. The cooperative stated that it has allocated dedicated display areas within its branches for the most in-demand travel-related products, including luggage bags, chocolates, souvenirs, toys, beauty items, and food products. Additionally, the cooperative is also providing beach, swimming pool, and water sports supplies to meet the demands of consumers who prefer to spend their summer vacation in Dubai and the UAE. Furthermore, the cooperative has launched a special and integrated section for pet food and supplies, which includes a variety of food, grooming tools, toys, and accessories, reflecting the cooperative's commitment to providing a comprehensive and convenient shopping experience for all segments of society. Union Coop noted that shopping activity typically peaks toward the end of each month and anticipates a further increase in footfall during the current travel season. The organization emphasized its full readiness to ensure smooth service and avoid any congestion, particularly at checkout counters. The Cooperative highlighted that shoppers' preferences vary based on their travel destinations, which in turn influences the types of products they seek. These preferences are carefully considered when planning promotions and product assortments.