AMMAN — The leather and garment industry has emerged as a "primary" catalyst for Jordan’s regional industrial expansion, serving as a strategic cornerstone for the Kingdom’s Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV), according to Ihab Qadri, representative of the sector at the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI).

Qadri said that the sector’s current trajectory is defined by its unique ability to synchronise high-density employment with geographic decentralisation, leveraging the "Production Branches" initiative as a direct executive vehicle for national development, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As the EMV entres its second phase, this sector remains one of the "few" industrial pillars capable of "simultaneously" driving large-scale job creation and rural economic integration.

The industry’s strategic weight is underscored by its exceptional capacity to absorb the domestic workforce, currently employing around 30,000 Jordanians across the production lifecycle, according to Qadri.

The sector has proven "particularly" effective in elevating economic participation rates for women and youth in peripheral governorates, where traditional investment infrastructure often lags.

Under the current modernisation roadmap, the sector is tasked with a "monumental" employment target of 149,000 new positions over the coming years, a figure that reflects its disproportionate importance to Jordan’s macroeconomic stability.

The operational strategy relies heavily on the expansion of satellite production units linked to established industrial hubs.

This model, Qadri noted, facilitates a rapid localisation of the labour force by bringing specialised technical roles "directly" to local communities.

By aligning employment with demand-driven vocational training, the sector is effectively bridging the skills gap.

Furthermore, this expansion allows for the deepening of local value chains, transitioning the industry from assembly-centric operations to high-value-added manufacturing.

This shift is expected to bolster export competitiveness and ensure that the transition from temporary placement to sustainable, export-led employment is permanent.

Qadri concluded by framing the "Production Branches" initiative as a gold standard for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

Since its inception in 2008 following Royal directives, the initiative has matured into a "tripartite" success story: Royal Initiatives provide the foundational infrastructure, the government delivers first-year operational subsidies, and the private sector assumes the risk of management, training and long-term hiring.

With 36 branches currently active, 31 of which are dedicated to leather and textiles, the initiative has already secured livelihoods for 10,000 Jordanians, achieving a female participation rate exceeding 70 per cent in several regions and "fundamentally" altering the socio-economic landscape of Jordan’s rural interior, Petra reported.

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