"Under the difficult economic conditions in Jordan and the region, it is imperative to focus on the livelihood sector to enhance the economic capacity of refugees and host communities and stimulate development on a larger scale by supporting small and medium enterprises and attracting new investments to the region," with these words, experts in economic affairs unanimously agreed on the need to understand the local Jordanian market and producing entrepreneurial projects to meet the needs of local markets.
This came during a panel discussion held by the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and the Jordan National NGO Forum (JONAF), on Saturday, December 14, 2024, entitled: "Enhancing Local Market Access to Excellence: Challenges and Methods", which featured speeches by H.E. Michel Nazzal, Chairman of the Dead Sea Hotels Co. and Dr. Firas Al-Hijawi, Director of Training and Consulting at the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence. The session was moderated by Eng. Malak Suleiman, Project Manager of the Arab Women's Leadership Academy at ARDD.
The meeting comes on the sidelines of the Season Market: Winter Bazaar, organized by ARDD within the framework of the project “Future Forward: Unlocking Sustainable Local Opportunities”, funded by the European Regional Development and Protection Programme to support Jordan and Lebanon, where many small business owners and craftsmen from refugees and the host community came together to display and sell their products, in addition to highlighting local livelihood initiatives and highlighting their issues, challenges, and ways to move forward.
Prior to the preparation of the Season Market, entrepreneurs and craftsmen participating in the bazaar were trained as part of a series of training workshops aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills to launch, market, and manage their products, as topics were identified based on the needs of the participants.
in collaboration with Souq Fann, participants in the bazaar were trained, in particular, on the practical tools and skills needed to launch and market competitive products including: identifying market needs, innovative thinking and brainstorming, prototyping and optimization, as well as packaging products for the market, as this bazaar supports the overall purpose of the panel discussion meeting, providing a space for people to showcase their creations and products and facilitating their access to markets.
Regarding investing in the ideas and initiatives of young people, H.E. Nazzal stressed the importance of awareness, education, spreading the concepts and culture of entrepreneurship, and supporting programs that will develop and qualify young entrepreneurs, indicating in this context that partnership with the public sector starts from understanding that the private sector is the partner of the public sector and its counterpart, as the government must realize that achieving its revenues is achieved by the success of the private sector and not competing with it.
Nazzal underscored the need to encourage young people to start and support their own initiatives and projects, with the importance of providing permanent communication platforms between funders, government agencies, and youth, as well as focusing on technology and innovation, and attracting major international companies to open offices in Jordan.
In turn, Al-Hijawi called on young entrepreneurs to adhere to patience and determination, and not to fear failure, "because the real entrepreneur is the one who learns from their failed experiences in order to build a success story," stressing the importance of education in developing the capabilities of young people, which is reflected in the development of the local market, the development of legislation governing the educational process, in addition to the inclusion of creative thinking and innovation in educational curricula. He also urged universities to use modern methods and integrate technology into education.
Al-Hijawi also stressed the need for entrepreneurship and business incubators to contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals, combating unemployment and poverty issues, and developing all economic sectors, while preserving resources, achieving equality between men and women, among other goals.
In their recommendations to overcome challenges and move forward towards promoting the growth and development of startups and projects in Jordan, participants in the meeting stressed the importance of taking care of building the "entrepreneurial personality" in terms of providing them with life skills and communication skills, as well as technical knowledge to enhance their chances of finding jobs or building their startup. They also recommended creating a stimulating environment for entrepreneurship in Jordan and providing assistance to Jordanian entrepreneurial companies to access local, regional, and international markets and open new markets for them.
The participants also stressed the importance of conducting a comprehensive study to review laws, regulations, regulatory instructions and procedures related to customs, taxes, companies, labor, local administration and social development, and any legislation, regulatory instructions, procedures or other fees necessary to enable the Jordanian entrepreneurship ecosystem, urging young people to study and understand the laws and procedures related to their work so that they do not face great difficulties in establishing their businesses or in later stages of the project.
