Together … Making A Difference
A Better Future for Jordanians

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal U.S. government agency providing economic and development assistance to partner countries in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States.

Jordan is now poised to transform itself into a hub of dynamic economic and social reform. It became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000, and, subsequently, the U.S. and Jordan signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2001. King Abdullah II has advanced a program for reform called the Social and Economic Transformation Plan (SETP). This plan focuses on economic reform through private sector development, education, political reform and health care reform. “Jordan First” represents a second major policy initiative by the Jordanian government. This comprehensive program aims to increase participation of all Jordanians in civil society and governance. A third reform plan, Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy (ERfKE), addresses the future human capacity requirements of Jordan through improved early childhood, primary, and secondary education.

To address these challenges and capitalizing on 50 years of productive cooperation with the citizens of Jordan and the Jordanian Government, USAID’s activities over the next five years will focus on five main sectors:

1. Water resources management

2. Economic opportunities

3. Health care services

4. Educational opportunities to meet market needs

5. Good governance and civic participation

This tightly focused portfolio has allowed USAID to have a profound impact on development and economic growth within Jordan.

During the 50 years of its operation in Jordan, USAID’s work has touched the lives of thousands of Jordanians. Schools were built that still echo with the footsteps of boys and girls seeking the education needed to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Water and wastewater facilities were built over the course of the years, and are still in service to date. Roads and highways, built with USAID funding, have enabled agricultural produce to reach markets, tourists to visit the USAID-funded restoration of many ancient sites like Petra and Um Qias, and Jordanian products to be marketed around the world. Eradication of malaria, construction of the first tuberculosis center in Jordan, and construction of the first nursing school were also among the achievements of the USAID program in Jordan.

More recently, USAID financed the construction of the industrial park in the port of Aqaba, which promises a rich economic future for Jordan’s next generation. We have helped provide over 207,000 microfinance loans which have improved the lives of over 92,000 borrowers. We have helped hundreds of small companies improve their packaging and marketing to utilize the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between Jordan and the United States. We have established an entrepreneurship and life skills training program for high school students, which trains over 47,000 students annually and helped 24 students establish their own companies. We are helping develop Jordan’s information technology sector to position Jordan as the leading IT hub in the region, leading to a growth in the number of IT-related jobs from 1,250 to 9,000 and exports of $47 million. We have renovated 21 comprehensive post-partum centers and 307 primary health care centers throughout Jordan which has contributed to improved health for all, especially for families in the most unreachable places. We are constructing the Zara-Ma’in water treatment facility, which will increase the drinking water available for Amman by 40%. We are participating in a multi-donor effort to rehabilitate Amman’s water supply system, benefiting 600,000 Jordanians. And, we are providing 45% of the cost for the construction of Jordan’s first public-private Build-Operate-Transfer wastewater treatment plant to replace the existing, overloaded plant at As-Samra, which will benefit 2 million Jordanians.
 

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