Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King Abdullah II of Jordan jointly addressed the India-Jordan business forum in Amman on Tuesday, with both leaders outlining ambitious plans to transform economic cooperation between the two nations. The forum was attended by leading business dignitaries from both sides, with participation from high-level business delegations in sectors such as fertilizers and textiles, as well as new areas of cooperation including renewable energy, information technology and the health sector.
King Abdullah described the forum as an opportunity to discuss partnerships and joint investments in vital sectors. In his address, the king welcomed Prime Minister Modi, saying, “My dear brother, Prime Minister, distinguished guests, it’s a great pleasure to welcome you to today’s business forum. I hope that your exchanges today will prove successful in expanding economic and investment cooperation between Jordan and India. Under the great leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has witnessed great growth and we look forward to working with you all to take our economic partnership to further heights.”
The king emphasized that Jordan offers competitive advantages across key sectors including food, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, textiles, information and communications technology, energy, mining, tourism, advanced manufacturing and logistics. He outlined a strategic vision, stating, “With Jordan’s strategic location and free trade agreements and with India’s economic power and advanced industries, we have the potential to build an economic corridor that links South Asia to the Middle East, Africa and Europe.” He invited Indian businesses to leverage Jordan’s location to build integrated logistical and processing hubs through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor routes to enable Indian and Jordanian agricultural and industrial exports.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the unique nature of India-Jordan relations, saying, “Friends, around the world we find models and markets with many countries. But India-Jordan relations are of a different nature, where historical trust and future economic opportunities come together. Just yesterday, in my discussions with the leadership, this was the central theme of our conversation—how to convert geography into opportunity, and opportunity into growth.” He acknowledged King Abdullah’s explanation of how Indian companies can access markets in the United States, Canada and other countries through Jordan, urging Indian companies present to fully leverage these opportunities.
Prime Minister Modi noted that India is the third-largest trading partner of Jordan and stressed the importance of building long-term relationships beyond mere numbers. He recalled historical trade connections, saying, “There was a time when trade routes connected Gujarat to Europe through Petra. Reviving these historic links will be key to shaping our shared future prosperity.”
Several memoranda of understanding are set to be signed between Indian and Jordanian trade bodies during the forum. The business forum focused on identifying new avenues for economic collaboration in vital sectors such as renewable energy, information technology, health and water management, with particular participation from the fertilizer, textile and technology industries.
Following the business forum, Prime Minister Modi was accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah to visit the Jordan Museum. The crown prince personally drove the prime minister to the museum in a special gesture during the official visit. From Jordan, Modi will continue his three-nation tour to Ethiopia and Oman.
