Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Gulf economic aid has averted Jordan’s debt crisis for now, but further support may require concessions regarding the kingdom’s previously independent foreign policy.
Like Hani al-Mulki, Omar al-Razzaz comes into office with a mandate to address economic issues that are beyond the Jordanian government’s ability to resolve.
Jordan has managed to reduce budgetary deficits for 2018, but rising operational costs and stagnant sources of revenue will keep it reliant on foreign aid.
Under increasing financial pressure, states hosting Syrian refugees are pressuring them to return whether conditions in Syria are safe or not.
Jordan is making a concerted effort to address unemployment by restricting foreign labor and promising increased vocational training.
Amid low enthusiasm for local elections intended to decentralize governance in Jordan, Islamists and their tribal allies have gained political ground.
While Jordan offers comparatively favorable labor laws for the region, many migrant workers remain legally and economically vulnerable.
Though the Muslim Brotherhood won a plurality of seats in Jordan’s elections, the biggest takeaway was the continued fragmentation of the vote within a weak field of parties.
Jordan’s weakened Islamists are building alliances with tribal candidates to boost votes in the upcoming elections.
Jordan’s latest government and constitutional changes could allow the monarchy to shift the burden of austerity to an elected government
Sada launches its first eBook, a collection of essays that explores the region’s deep political changes since the Arab uprisings.
The latest budget confirms that Jordan is increasingly dependent on public debt and foreign aid to prop up continued spending—especially on energy subsidies.
Despite initial optimism, Jordan’s draft election law does little to erase parties’ disadvantage against tribal candidates.
Jordan’s attempt to prioritize Syrian and Iraqis refugees leaves its other asylum seekers underserved.
Proposed amendments to Jordan’s anti-terror law threaten free expression and may exacerbate the very problem they are hoping to address.
The outcome of their engagement in Syria will define the future vision and goals of the rising generation of Jordanian Salafi-jihadis.
The Zamzam Initiative, which presents itself as an alternative to the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, is unlikely to convince Jordanians that it provides anything new.
Economic and demographic strains from the Syrian refugee crisis are impacting Jordan’s own domestic balance of power.
As Jordan strives to build a university system in line with its ambitious economic goals, tribal violence on campus remains a stumbling block.
Emerging segments of the Jordanian opposition are becoming more vocal and boldly demanding change.