Rwanda’s Ambassador to Jordan James Ngango visited the Jordan Free Zones Investors Commission, where he was received by the commission’s vice-president, Amer Al-Jayousi, and several members of its board of directors.
The meeting explored opportunities for cooperation between investors operating in Jordan’s free zones and their counterparts in Rwanda, as well as prospects for benefiting from investment opportunities across a range of industrial, commercial and service sectors.
Discussions also covered Rwanda’s investment environment and the incentives and facilities available to foreign investors.
Al-Jayousi said the meeting provided investors with first-hand information about the Rwandan market, its investment regulations and the costs associated with production, energy, telecommunications, land and construction.
The meeting also addressed mechanisms for transferring funds and the protections available to foreign investments, he added.
Al-Jayousi noted that Jordanian investors possess expertise in several sectors that could find promising opportunities in Rwanda, including mining-related industries and crushing equipment, electrical industries, logistics and warehousing, food and agricultural processing, information technology and services.
He stressed the importance of organising broader meetings bringing together Jordanian investors, relevant Rwandan institutions and representatives of the country’s private sector.
Such meetings, he said, would facilitate the exchange of information, provide practical answers to investors’ questions and allow both sides to examine the potential for joint ventures or the establishment of branches by Jordanian companies in Rwanda.
For his part, Ngango said Jordan has well-established institutions and advanced expertise in the industrial, investment and regulatory fields, making cooperation with the Kingdom particularly important for Rwanda.
He added that his country is seeking to benefit from Jordanian expertise and knowledge transfer, alongside attracting investment.
The ambassador said bilateral relations enjoy high-level support, noting that His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Rwanda in January 2024 helped strengthen ties and opened wider prospects for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Ngango also highlighted Rwanda’s efforts to modernise its legislation and simplify business establishment procedures.
Investors can register a company online from outside Rwanda in around six hours, either as a wholly owned business or through a partnership with a local investor, he said.
The ambassador added that Rwanda offers incentives and tax exemptions that vary according to the size and nature of a project and may extend for several years for qualifying investments.
He stressed that Rwanda is seeking not only capital, but also technical and industrial expertise.
Ngango said Rwanda has two special economic zones. One is located in the capital, Kigali, and hosts manufacturing, warehousing, information technology and technical education activities.
The second focuses on agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and green energy.
He also pointed to additional opportunities in financial and banking services, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, mining and energy.
Although Rwanda’s domestic market is relatively small, the ambassador said the country provides access to the wider East African Community market, which has a population of around 200 million.
The two sides agreed to maintain communication and examine the possibility of holding an expanded meeting involving Jordanian investors, representatives of Rwanda’s private sector and investment institutions.
They also discussed organising a visit by a Jordanian business delegation to Rwanda to explore available opportunities and establish direct links with the Rwandan business community.
