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The Hollywood movie The ?? Middle East, with an average GDP
Martian was partly shot in
the dunes of Wadi Rum and
is being used in a marketing
drive to promote the region.
The famous archaeo-
logical site of Petra draws
many foreign tourists
vowing to defeat terror group ISIL after
it executed Jordanian Air Force pilot
Mouath al-Kasaesbeh in 2015.
In the king’s favour is the fact that
Jordan’s economy has improved since
his ascension to the throne. Although
real GDP is forecast to be just 3%
in 2016, steady growth has been a
theme. From 2009-2014, for example,
the capital city of Amman was one of
the fastest growing economies in the
stagnant,” says Sa’d Abdul Hadi,
growth rate of 3,3%.
Because the nation cannot rely on
oil or natural resources and is heavily
dependent on food and energy imports,
it has been essential to think creatively knowledge and experience, particularly
about the economy. It helps that
donors like the United States and Saudi
Arabia provide significant funding to
the country, but it may be necessary to
boost innovation and entrepreneurship
to counteract youth unemployment,
which stands at a worrying 30%.
Government currently employs 42%
of the country’s workforce – nearly
triple the international average of 15%
– and this picture has to change.
King Abdullah’s plan to attract
US$20-billion in foreign direct
investment into the energy, water,
transport, infrastructure, urban
? forecast to rise by 11% in Amman by
Jordan is pro-West,
moderate and stable
development and IT sectors is a good
start. In addition, luring more women
into the labour market will also be a
good move. Females make up only
13% of the job market at present.
SMALL, BUT HIGHLY
DEVELOPED
Although the Jordanian market is
not large – the population stands at
9,5-million, compared to 93-million in
Egypt and 32-million in Saudi Arabia –
it is sophisticated and highly developed.
This is partly because Jordanians are
well educated and the literacy rate is
more than 90%. The country is well
known for its skilled workforce.
“Unfortunately, this means that
Jordanians often pursue better-paid
opportunities in the MENA region
and this brain-drain has kept growth
August–September 2016 strategicmarketing 53
General Manager of Al-Nasher PR and
Advertising, which has a presence in
Amman and other regional capitals.
The flip-side of this, however, is
that Jordanians return with greater
in the IT sector.
There is a relatively large middle
class and 85% of the population is
concentrated in urban areas. Around
55% of the total population is under
24 years of age. “This means you have
a lot of young people with access to
technology and the Internet, who follow
global trends in terms of lifestyle and
almost everything else,” says Saif
Jarad, Managing Director of Chain
Reaction Performance Marketing, a
Dubai-based digital marketing agency
with an office in Jordan.
According to research company
Euromonitor, real household income is
2019, which should bring a surge in
consumer expenditure. Jarad notes that
consumer behaviour is already shifting.
“People in Jordan like to try new
things,” he says. “For example, newly
opened restaurants typically get a lot
of custom in the beginning. Jordanians
like to try new food out of curiosity.”
Euromonitor reports that Jordanians
spend up to 40% of their budgets on
food and non-alcoholic beverages,
compared to a Western European
figure of only 8-12%.
Jack Murad, CEO of Amman-based
Correct Marketing & Advertising, agrees
that consumers are seeking new
experiences: “Retail has prospered in
the last five years and there is huge
expenditure in the sector. There are
now more than 20 malls and big
supermarket chains such as [French
retailer] Carrefour in the country.”
Malls typically boast designer
boutiques, cinema complexes,
restaurants and family entertainment >>