‘Meet for Jordan’ Conference Launched in Cooperation with ‘Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum’ and ‘Sindyan’

Special to TAG Educa News Agency 

AMMAN – Under the patronage of Minister of Industry, Trade & Supply, HE Eng. Maha Ali, the ‘Meet for Jordan’ conference, organized by the Sindyan Entrepreneurship & Development Organization in cooperation with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF), a member of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), was launched on July 28 and it lasted until August 2, 2021.

‘Meet for Jordan’ conference was held on the sidelines of the first virtual Kingdom International Exhibition and Conference, also organized by Sindyan Entrepreneurship & Development Organization in partnership with Jordan Investment Commission (JIC), and in cooperation with Jordan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was also supported by Jordan Exports Company. The event lasted for six interactive days through the virtual exhibition technology based on the highest global technological standards used in the virtual conferences industry, with the aim of promoting Jordanian industries, services and products to facilitate their access to the Arab and international markets.

The opening session of the conference was held under the patronage and presence of  Minister Maha Al Ali with the participation of Acting Chairman of JIC, Mr. Fareedon Hartoqa, Vice President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Mr. Mohammad Al-Jitan, and First Vice President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Jamal Al-Refaei. The event was moderated by Mr. Fadi Daoud, executive director of TAG-KF and secretary-general of the Sindyan Entrepreneurship & Development, and head of the Conference and Exhibition’s Organizing Committee. 

The Patron of the event, Minister Maha Al Ali, pointed out that the Ministry works tirelessly to translate the directions of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein to strengthen partnership with the private sector, affirming the Ministry’s keenness to continue the process of dialogue with all sectors to improve and develop applicable procedures and laws to the benefit and interest of the national economy. 

She also stressed the significance of holding virtual events, praising the idea of organizing the first virtual Kingdom International Expo and Conference which would play a major role in promoting Jordanian products and enhancing opportunities of business partnerships.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hartoqa stated that the JIC plays a key role in supporting the Jordanian exports as it seeks, in cooperation with the Jordanian private sector, to open new markets for Jordanian products and services. He also said that the Jordanian economy - despite its small size – allows Jordanian products to reach out to 1.5 billion consumers worldwide by signing free trade agreements with different countries. 

For his part, Mr. Al-Jitan talked about the importance of the knowledge shift that coincided with the spread of the Coronavirus (CONVID-19) pandemic which negatively affected the supply chains. However, he noted that the use of technology marketing has become a key tool for marketing, as e-commerce has significantly doubled. Al-Jitan pointed out that the industrial sector constitutes a major pillar of the national economy, as it represents 93% of total national exports.   

Mr. Al-Refaei underlined the importance of the first virtual Kingdom Expo in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively affected our national economy. Such impact, according to Al-Refaei, has driven local companies, especially the small and medium-sized enterprises, to search for new ways to sustain their businesses and retain their employees. As a result, digital expos enable all companies to promote their products and services, bearing in mind, the need to expand the scope of joint work and ongoing communication between chambers of commerce and industry regarding the challenges facing the economic sectors. Additionally, Mr. Daoud stated that the ‘Meet for Jordan’ conference was held with wide participation of local and international institutions including the Jordanian expatriate businessmen/women, academics and a host of industry, trade and economic experts who came together to discuss several key topics that aim at highlighting the competitive advantages of local industries and services, the opportunities for improving national economy and the challenges that face economic stimulus. 

Furthermore, Daoud noted that the virtual exhibitions and conferences became major pillars that countries count on in promoting their products and services to reach out to global markets due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 all over the world.

The Conference agenda included a number of specialized digital panel sessions in which representatives of national institutions took part , principally, Jordan Investment Commission (JIC), Jordan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jordan Exporters Association (JEA), Jordan Forum for Business & Professional Women, the Nashama Forum for Jordanian Expatriates, and the Businesspeople Association of Jordanian Expatriates (BAJE), as well as the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA), Al-Rakha’a Businessmen Cooperative Association, Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), Jordan Tourism Board and other entrepreneurial, business and economic institutions who met to draft recommendations as the Conference’s outputs to be submitted to relevant stakeholders to study and examine the extent of their implementation.