Khaberni - Hajj Tawfiq, the head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, called for the establishment of a joint Jordanian-Egyptian economic chamber that would serve as a model for Arab economic cooperation at the level of private sector institutions.
During a meeting that brought together members of the chamber’s board of directors with the Egyptian ambassador to the kingdom, Khaled Thabit, he emphasized the necessity for the chamber to be the primary reference for the various regulatory frameworks that link the private sectors of the two countries at the current stage, contributing to the development of economic cooperation in the fields of trade, industry, and agriculture.
He pointed out that the joint economic chamber must be an institutional platform that brings together representatives of the private sectors from both Jordan and Egypt to establish trade and investment partnerships, track the challenges faced by business owners, and overcome them in coordination with the relevant entities in both countries.
Hajj Tawfiq noted that Jordan's commerce, which includes membership from 16 chambers of commerce across various governorates and 10 commercial and service sectors, serves as the legal umbrella for the commercial and service sector in the kingdom, encompassing approximately 160,000 companies and establishments, and underscored the importance of coordination between both sides through the chamber.
He mentioned that the economic relations between Jordan and Egypt are based on a robust political and popular foundation, urging the capitalization of this momentum to establish new trade and investment partnerships, and to enhance the cooperation between the private sector institutions in both countries.
Hajj Tawfiq highlighted that Jordan’s exports to Egypt from the beginning of the year until the end of July amounted to about 94 million dinars, in contrast to imports from Egypt which stood at 369 million dinars.
He stressed the importance of expanding sectoral cooperation, sustaining specialized sectoral meetings that were held in the capital Amman in cooperation with Egyptian export councils, and the importance of increasing communication between companies of the two countries, exchanging visits, and information on investment and trade opportunities and exhibitions.
In turn, Ambassador Thabit affirmed that Jordanian-Egyptian relations are solid and robust across various domains, and should positively reflect on the level and volume of economic cooperation, through encouraging the private sectors in both countries to establish real partnerships that serve shared interests.
He confirmed the embassy’s commitment to providing all possible facilities to support trade movement, especially regarding the development of Jordanian exports to the Egyptian market, addressing any difficulties and monitoring any obstacles that might affect the flow of goods between the two countries.
Ambassador Thabit emphasized the necessity of building upon what has been achieved in the trajectory of Jordanian-Egyptian economic relations, highlighting the importance that the upcoming phase witnesses practical steps to expand the areas of joint cooperation and build partnerships, suggesting the organization of a business forum in the near future to explore joint cooperation opportunities.
The meeting was attended by the third deputy of the chamber's president, Audah Allah Qutaytat, and board members Hussein Shreim, Nabil Al-Khatib, Khatib Al-Banna, and Abdullah Al-Adwan.
