Country analysis of resource management in Saudi Arabia and Jordan

Country Analysis - Jordan & Saudi Arabia

Country Analysis: Jordan

Labor -- Jordan suffers from chronic high rates of unemployment, poverty, and a huge budget deficit. Since 1999, significant economic reforms have been implemented, included a trade regime, elimination of fuel subsidies, and the privatization of state-owned companies. This has resulted in job creation and has attracted some foreign investment. Jordan's labor force was estimated at 1.719 million in 2010, distributed across services (77.4%), industry (20%), and agriculture 2.7% (2007 estimate).

LANGUAGES - Arabic (official), English (widely understood by upper/middle classes)

Capital -- GDP (purchasing power parity) was estimated at $33.79 billion in 2010. Jordan's GDP is depressed because of the global economic slowdown. The budget deficit is at 5-6% of GDP. The financial deficit requires foreign assistance in 2011. The global financial crisis had a limited effect because of low exposure to overseas capital markets.

natural resources -- Jordan's land holds minable phosphates, potash, and drillable shale oil.

technology -- Jordan deregulated its telecommunications market in 2005 and has achieved a mobile penetration rate of 78%, with 100% Internet access. The country has seen burgeoning growth of wireless and broadband networks. Jordan's population is highly tech-savvy, and the country has received high ranks in technological infrastructure, population and business readiness, and usage of technology according to the Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008.

geography -- Jordan is a strategically located middle eastern country (at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank). It is northwest of Saudi Arabia and between Iraq and Israel to the west. Slightly smaller than the state of Indiana in the U.S., its total land area is 89,342 square km. Jordan has 26 miles of coastline and a mostly desert plateau in the east and highland area to the west. The Great Rift Valley separates the east and west banks of the Jordan River. The land is subject to droughts and periodic earthquakes. Other issues include limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification.

Religious groups - Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.). Approximately 2 million refugees fleeing the war in Iraq have settled in Jordan and Syria.

political parties - Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Fuad DABBOUR]; Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Tayseer al-HAMSI]; Call Party [Mohammed Abu BAKR]; Democratic People's Party [Ablah al-ULBAH]; Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'ed DIAB]; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Hamzeh MANSOUR]; Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FA'OURI; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARNEH]; Jordanian National Party [Mona Abu BAKR]; Jordanian United Front [Amjad al-MAJALI]; Life Party [Thaher 'AMROU]; Message Party [Hazem QASHOU]; National Constitution Party [Ahmed al-SHUNAQ]; National Current Party [Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI]; National Movement for Direct Democracy [Mohammed al-QAQ]