Jordan: Between a rock and a hard place

As I walk down through the old city of Amman negotiating my way through the hassle of street vendors and small shop keepers - all of whom are inviting me with a tired smiles - I get a sense of the fault lines that have the potential to rock this small and vulnerable country.

First, let’s look at the population within Amman. The majority of those living in the City are of Palestinian origin, of whom the vast, vast majority would love to back their bags and head back to Palestine. Not too dissimilar to other Arab nations, more than 50% are under the age of 25, most do not have formal qualifications, and nearly all have very poor job prospects for the future – even tourism, a pillar of their informal economy, has been hit by the unrest of the wider region.

Next, let us examine the perception held by many on the street. In talking to people, either who are trading or just living in these areas, they are utterly convinced that the standard of living in the rest of the World is far superior to that which they endure in Jordan. In addition, many are also convinced that the present system of Government in Jordan is actively seeking to concentrate the best of the country’s resources into the hands of the privileged few. Needless to say, it is neither here nor there whether they are accurate in their beliefs; as we have seen throughout the Arab world, a widely held perception or negativity can be a very dangerous catalyst.

Finally, but no means least, let’s consider the external influences on this Arab nation. To the North, Syria remains to be in an increasingly disturbing and bloody turmoil; to the West, the Israeli-Palestine conflict continues to simmer; and to the East we have Iraq, which is looking more and more unstable by the day. No doubt, such extreme unrest on the doorstep of Jordan will be both uncomfortable for the Government and unsettling for the country’s people.

I hope the King holds good council at this dangerous time.

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Written by Fadel Takrouri.

Fadel is a businessman and the Chairman of the British Arab Federation (BAF)

The BAF is an organisation committed to enabling the British Arab Community of the UK. We conduct research, hold seminars and events concerning Arab Business, Arab Culture and Arab News.