Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Jordanian Embassy in Tokyo helped organize a webinar for Japanese firms about business and investment in Jordan, which was held on Tuesday.

The event was the first of its kind and focused on opportunities relating to digitalization.

Over 300 companies and attendees from various sectors, mainly in Japan, took part in the webinar. The talks highlighted opportunities to advance Jordan-Japan economic ties and developments in Jordan’s investment climate, particularly with regards to the ecosystem for start-ups and the technology industry.

Ambassador of Jordan in Tokyo, Lina Annab, pointed out the importance of such webinars in raising awareness about the investment and business environment in Jordan to the Japanese businesses interested in investing in the region.

Speakers from Jordan included Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmad Hanandeh and Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission Khalid Wazani.

On his first day as Cabinet Minister after being sworn in on Monday October 12, Ahmad Hanandeh, Jordanian Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE) gave a brief introduction, which was followed by Dr. Khalid Wazani, Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC).

Both Minister Hanandeh and Dr. Wazani emphasized during their presentations on the opportunities in enhancing Jordan-Japan economic cooperation in addition to highlighting the thriving investment climate in Jordan, especially in areas of technology industry and the existing eco-system for start-ups.

Rashad Bibars, Director of Jordan Youth, Technology, and Jobs (YTJ) Project at MODEE gave an extensive presentation on the entrepreneurial environment in Jordan where he demonstrated the regulatory and policy frameworks that have led to and enhanced the growth of key technology-based industries.

The director of the Jordan Youth, Technology, and Jobs Project gave a presentation on the country’s environment for entrepreneurship.

Representatives from Japanese companies already doing business in Jordan also shared their experiences – including Mitsui & Co. and agri-food company GRA Inc.

In addition to the Jordanian Embassy, the event was co-organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Tokyo (UNIDO ITPO Tokyo) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).