On The Road To The Arabia 500: Jordan - Ministry Of Trade And Economy And Allworld Network Launch The Jordan 25|100 And Arabia 500

The Jordan 25 | 100 is a cutting edge effort to find and advance all of Jordan's fast-growth entrepreneurs.
Jordan could become the "Singapore of Entrepreneurship.

Amman, Jordan, 28 June 2010, Grand Hyatt hotel...Today, the Minister of Industry and Trade His Excellency Eng. Amer Hadidi and AllWorld Co-founder Anne Habiby launched the Jordan 25|100, a ranking of the fastest-growing companies. Companies from around the country are invited to apply to the Jordan 25 |100, and already over 30 companies have applied. The Jordan 25 |100 winners will be credentialed as global growth entrepreneurs and become part of the AllWorld Network of winners from the US, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Jordan 25|100 winners will be eligible for the MENA wide Arabia 500, which will be announced in the Spring of 2011 in Jordan. Joining Hadidi and Habiby at the event were many of the Jordan 25 finalists.

H.E. Amer Hadidi highlighted, that Jordan 100 will be announced November 2010. Her added that "The Jordan 25|100 will bring attention to the entrepreneurs creating the next economy of jobs and ideas right here in Jordan," said Hadidi. "In addition, the Jordan 25|100 will create an entrepreneurship path for others to follow and will send a message around the world that Jordan is open for business."

AllWorld has launched the Egypt 25, Jordan 25, Lebanon 25, North Africa 25 and the UAE 25 as part of the Arabia Fast Growth 500 - a massive effort across the Middle East and North Africa to find and analyze the fastest growing emerging companies of the region. These companies have the potential to create the next economy of jobs and represent the leading edge of a new wave of growth and competitiveness. AllWorld expects to announce the Jordan 25 in July and the Jordan 100 in late 2010 along with the release of the first Jordan Entrepreneurship Report.

"The challenge for these companies is that they are currently not on the global economic radar screen, and that is where AllWorld comes in," said Habiby. "Recognizing that entrepreneurship drives economic growth and innovation, AllWorld's mission is to find and advance all the growth entrepreneurs of the emerging world by 2015. Our model is simple - find growth entrepreneurs, credential them, put them on the global radar screen, and markets will come to them. We call this "Visibility Economics^TM" and we believe it is the 21^st century way to move the world for job growth and progress."

H.E. Eng Added Hadidi, "The Jordan 25|100 will be the start of igniting Visibility Economics^TM for Jordan, , we feel we can accelerate this program in Jordan. The research will also help guide the business and policy community in actions to speed the process of entrepreneurial growth. From the initial research AllWorld has done on the Jordan 25 applicants, they believe that Jordan could become the 'Singapore of Entrepreneurship.'"

In addition, Jordan will play host to the inaugural Arabia 500 Awards Event for the 500 fastest growing private companies across the MENA region. We plan of having this event in Jordan in the Spring of 2011. This would be the "World Economic Forum of Entrepreneurship" and would send a signal to the rest of the world that Jordan is a serious player in driving innovation and entrepreneurship.

In addition to the Ministry and the Jordanian government, the Boston-based AllWorld Network is joined by an unprecedented array of local and international organizations in creating the Jordan 25|100: the Business Development Corporation (BDC), Endeavor Jordan and Lawrence & Husseini Consult, as well as the international consulting firm the Monitor Group, private equity firm Siraj Capital, and health care real estate developer Sukoon International. Partners also include US-based Business Council for International Understanding and the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

Companies that applied were ranked based on their sales growth between 2006 and 2008 and younger growth companies could qualify as "Companies-to-Watch." To be eligible, companies had to undergo a strenuous process including completing a detailed business survey and providing audited statements or an audit letter to confirm their revenue growth. The company with the fastest growing sales between 2006 and 2008 earned the number one spot. Eighteen qualified as ranked companies and seven as Companies-to-Watch.

This press conference was attended by some of the finalist ..

AllWorld was co-founded by Deirdre Coyle, Jr., Anne Habiby and Board chairman Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. Professor Porter was described by the Times of London as the world's "most influential management guru" and is widely regarded at the foremost authority on company and country competitiveness. "The Jordan 25|100 companies, led by dynamic men and women, represent the leading edge of a new approach to Lebanon's competitiveness" says Harvard Professor Michael Porter.

Along with the Arabia 500, AllWorld is creating the Africa 500, Asia 500, Eurasia 500, and Latin America 500. For more information about the winning companies or to apply for the Arabia 500 visit www.AllWorldLive.com.

"The Lebanon 25 gives us an invaluable opportunity to identify compelling stories of innovation and success from emerging entrepreneurs," Antoine Abou Samra, Managing Director of Bader remarked,. "Bader has nominated 40 companies to the Lebanon 25 and we look forward to supporting and encouraging these young business leaders because they contribute to the future of Lebanon's economy."

- Ends -

ARABIA 500 QUALIFYING CRITERIA

· Be an independent, private, for-profit, corporation or partnership, or proprietorship.

· Must NOT be a non-profit, holding company, franchise, bank or utility company. Private companies established by government or where government is a majority stakeholder are also NOT eligible.

· Have 6 or more full-time employees in 2009.

· Have a minimum 3-year operating history, and revenue (USD) of at least $100,000 in 2007 and $500,000 in 2009. Younger companies can compete to be a "Company to Watch."

· Provide audited statements or an audit letter to confirm your company's revenues.

· To apply to the Arabia 500, visit AllWorldLive.com or contact Arabia 500 Director Desiree El-Chebeir at delchebeir@allworldlive.com

www.allworldlive.com