AMMAN — The Ministry of Labour and the Maan Development Company (MDC) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to activate employment support incentives at Al Rawda Industrial City, located within the Maan Development Area.

 

The agreement implements two Cabinet decisions concerning a package of investment incentives and exemptions for projects operating in the industrial zone.

 

According to a ministry statement, the MoU was signed by Minister of Transport and Minister of Labour Nidal Qatamin, and MDC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Abu Tayeh.

 

It aims to support local industries, attract investment, enhance their contribution to economic development and create job opportunities.

 

The MoU sets out a framework for cooperation between the two entities in providing wage, employment and training support, with the aim of enhancing the competitiveness of industrial investments and linking their growth to the creation of sustainable and stable jobs for residents of Maan Governorate.

 

Qatamin stressed that investment incentives should not be measured solely by their ability to attract projects, but also by their capacity to generate a tangible socio-economic impact in local communities, particularly through providing decent and sustainable employment opportunities for Jordanian men and women.

 

He said the ministry was using its programmes and tools to support productive investment, reduce operational costs for investors and increase the participation of the local workforce in economic activity, while aligning investment policies with employment and training strategies.

 

Qatamin described the activation of the support mechanism under the Productive Branches Programme at Al Rawda Industrial City as a model of this integration.

 

He noted that access to the support is conditional on clear commitments to local employment, value addition and training, ensuring that assistance is directed towards projects capable of generating genuine economic value and creating jobs while contributing to development in the governorate.

 

Under the MoU, the ministry, through the Technical and Vocational Skills Development Fund, will implement the support mechanism under the Productive Branches Programme for eligible factories operating in the city, the minister said.

 

The support covers 50 per cent of the minimum wage, JD25 towards Social Security contributions and JD25 towards transport allowances.

 

The MoU also allows newly recruited workers at companies operating within the city to benefit from the National Employment Programme, subject to its approved criteria and conditions.

 

For his part, Abu Tayeh said the agreement supports MDC's efforts, as the main developer of the Maan Development Area, to establish an investment environment that links industrial growth with local community development.

 

"The competitiveness of Al Rawda Industrial City is not built on incentives alone, but on integrating the investment environment with qualified human capital," Abu Tayeh said.

 

He reaffirmed the company's commitment to following up with investors and facilitating their access to support programmes. The MoU aims to ensure that every new investment in Al Rawda Industrial City has a direct positive impact on people's lives through job creation, technical skills development and stable incomes, he added.

 

The agreement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships and coordinate measures to stimulate industrial investment and expand employment opportunities, contributing to more inclusive and sustainable economic development in Maan Governorate.