Meeting with the Ambassador to Jordan, ‘historical miracle of the region’: moderating and stabilizing role of the country

On November 24, the CEI International Classroom took place, in online mode, with a presentation by the Ambassador of Spain in Jordan, Her Excellency Mrs. Aránzazu Bañón Dávalos, and the CEI Intelligence analysis, by Mr. Haizam Amirah – organized by the CEI in collaboration with the Cercle d’Economia.

The event began with a general analysis of Mr. Haizam Amirah, who placed Jordan as the leader of pragmatism in the Middle East. This fact is due to the geography that, on the one hand, stands out for the scarcity of abundant resources; and on the other, the region is in a vulnerable geopolitical position. However, Jordan has emerged as a country with a moderating and stabilizing role in the region, placing great value on international alliances.

Mr. Haizam Amirah highlighted some of the main challenges that this State must face in the present, and that will determine its future. External factors include how to manage the stabilization of neighbouring countries and the impact of conflicts on internal policies. Among the internal factors, the efforts to solve some bad political-economic decisions and the loss of confidence in the government of the new generations are noteworthy, as well as the rise of radicalism. In the coming months, Jordan will have to manage the balance between high population growth, population discontent over crisis management, and possible changes in the status quo that may affect relations between the various actors in the Middle East.

In the second part of the session, the Ambassador of Spain in Jordan, Her Excellency Mrs. Aránzazu Bañón Dávalos reflected on the importance and weight of Jordan in the Middle East region:

The Ambassador began by describing this country as a “historical miracle of the region”, thanks to the construction of its own identity as an interlocutor and reference point for stability, dialogue, and moderation in a troubled region. She highlighted Jordan’s political intelligence, its broad ability to forge balanced alliances with its Arab neighbours and partners and with its Western allies, and its strategic role in the region.

Regional conflicts and recent geopolitical changes have a very direct impact on Jordan and are affecting both its internal situation, especially its economic situation, and its role in the region. In this context, it could be said that the country faces the new challenges as an opportunity to introduce changes and reforms with a future vision. The main aspirations are to achieve greater resilience by reducing external dependence and to lay the foundations for a more inclusive, cohesive, and prosperous society. In the political aspects, Jordan has begun a reform agenda to consolidate a project of a common country that accommodates the new generations of citizens, who demand greater transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency from their leaders.

About the economy, there is also a reform agenda underway aimed at stimulating employment, boosting the economy and promoting those strategic sectors that generate quality employment. The reform package has the endorsement of the donor community and the backing of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This plan was presented in February 2019 at the London Conference, aimed at the business sector: It seeks to facilitate, attract foreign investment, and improve strategic sectors. Among them are tourism and associated services – which represent between around 14% of GDP and which have been reassessed and reoriented after the Covid-19 crisis -; water management, since Jordan is the third country in the world with the highest water stress, so desalination plant projects are being implemented; The renewable energies; and the infrastructure sector, particularly railways.

The Ambassador concluded by highlighting that, despite the challenges in the perception of the area as an unstable context and the country’s difficulties, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a stable market, interdependent with the Mediterranean countries and strategic in the area, supported by the International Community, in which Spanish companies, both large companies and SMEs, by their nature, are highly competitive and with accumulated experience.

Report prepared by Raül Molina

Student of the Master’s Degree in Diplomacy and International Organizations