Jordan will face deeper challenges if it does not receive support from friends, allies

What lies ahead for Jordan in the coming weeks is the beginning of even deeper political and economic challenges, if the Kingdom does not receive the necessary support from its friends and international allies to aid the country on its arduous path towards economic recovery.

According to a recent World Bank report on global developments, Jordan faces significant negative economic growth in the coming period, attributable to the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Bank forecasts are very much aligned with domestic economic forecasting models, which unanimously predict significantly higher deficits and fluctuations in economic indicators due to the pandemic.

Additionally, Jordan bears an even greater economic burden in relation to Syrian refugees, within the context of the coronavirus pandemic, as the Kingdom has increased its expenditure on refugees residing outside of the refugee camps by approximately 60 per cent, at a time when Jordan is struggling to stimulate its own economy, with the limited resources available to it, and at a time when regional and global political tensions and economic challenges are salient, which further compound the strain on Jordan’s economy.

Certainly, Jordan’s allies, friends and brethren will not abandon the Kingdom as it struggles through the toughest challenges it has faced in many decades, and our hope remains that their appreciation and gratitude for the Kingdom for its regional and global stances will be equal in magnitude to the economic lifeline Jordan desperately needs to jumpstart its economy, and to set it on the proper path toward a smooth economic recovery.

To many, Jordan remains a success story of moderation, modernisation and political development, thanks to its political will, leadership and international support.

His Majesty King Abdullah has been instrumental for over two decades in catapulting Jordan to where it plays a crucial role on the global political stage, especially in relation to mediating regional conflicts, hosting thought leadership fora and intervening in global peacemaking efforts. As the Israeli right-wing pushes forward with its plan to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank, a move that will certainly kill or derail any hopes of a two-state solution, King Abdullah has played a very active and vocal role as the voice of reason, in opposition to such a belligerent plan by the Israelis.

Immediate economic support for Jordan is not only the right thing to do as far as friends, allies and brethren are concerned, it is also a global political necessity to support a regionally stabilising force for moderation.