Historic visit and a warm welcome
India (Commonwealth Union)_ Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Amman on Monday for a two-day visit, signaling a watershed moment in the two countries’ ties. The visit was at the request of King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Jordan. From the moment he landed in Jordan’s capital, it was evident that this was no ordinary diplomatic mission. Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan personally welcomed PM Modi at the airport as a remarkable and significant gesture.
Jordan emphasized the importance of the visit with a ceremonial guard of honor. The Amman trip was the beginning of a four-day, three-nation tour for Prime Minister Modi; the other two countries are Ethiopia and Oman. The visit established a strong bond for the entire trip. The two countries committed themselves to good relations across many sectors and together are building their future through cooperation. India and Jordan are not just celebrating an anniversary but creating a future based on mutual trust and respect.
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Modi meets the Indian diaspora
Soon after his arrival, PM Modi was greeted by members of the Indian community living in Jordan. Outside his hotel in Amman, Indian flags flew as voices chanted “Modi Modi” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” The atmosphere was celebratory and emotional, showing the diaspora’s strong attachment to India. The Prime Minister took the time to greet everyone individually, mingling with the families and children who had gathered to welcome him. A cultural performance gave color to the evening, highlighting the traditions that connect Indians living abroad to their roots. PM Modi later expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the community’s warmth and devotion, citing their pride in India’s growth and their contribution to developing India-Jordan connections.
Approximately 17,500 Indians live and work in Jordan, contributing to vital industries such as textiles, construction, and healthcare. Their presence has helped strengthen commercial ties between the two countries. Indian exports to Jordan include machinery, chemicals, and food goods, whereas Jordan provides India with fertilizers that are critical for its agricultural needs. Several long-standing commercial endeavors illustrate this collaboration. The Jordan India Fertiliser Company is a major supplier of phosphoric acid to India, and more than 15 garment manufacturing plants owned by Indian entrepreneurs operate in Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones, with investments totaling around $500 million. Cooperation has also grown into technology, with the India-funded Centre of Excellence in Information Technology at Al-Hussein Technical University providing advanced training in fields such as cybersecurity and machine learning.
Modi meets King Abdullah II
PM Modi’s meeting with King Abdullah II at the Al Husseiniya Palace was the centerpiece of the visit. The two leaders held detailed discussions on strengthening economic, strategic, and developmental cooperation. During the talks, PM Modi proposed raising bilateral trade to $5 billion and suggested linking India’s Unified Payments Interface with Jordan’s digital payment systems. The Prime Minister presented an eight-point vision for the future of India-Jordan relations, covering trade, fertilizers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties. Both leaders reviewed the steady growth in relations and expressed satisfaction with the trust and goodwill that underpin the partnership.
The strategic location and logistical capabilities of Jordan were touched upon throughout the conversation. The two sides concurred that it is imperative to strengthen transportation and logistics connections in order to bolster private sector partnerships and increase trade volume between the two areas of the world. Additionally, the companies discussed cooperating on customs procedures as a way to facilitate smoother and more efficient trading opportunities. Healthcare has emerged as another important area of concern. Both leaders committed to strengthening cooperation through knowledge sharing, telemedicine initiatives, and healthcare professional training. In agriculture, existing collaboration on fertilizers, notably phosphates, was evaluated, with an agreement to broaden cooperation through technology exchange to boost productivity and food security.
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India-Jordan Business Forum
Economic cooperation took center stage at the India-Jordan Business Forum in Amman, where PM Modi addressed business leaders from both countries. He examined the shared cultural legacy and economic opportunity between both nations while indicating the importance of long-term business partnerships over numbers. The Prime Minister encouraged Jordanian corporations to explore opportunities within his country, and he highlighted that India is experiencing an annual growth rate in excess of 8%, has a sound legal and regulatory regime, and boasts a potential customer base of 1.4 billion people. Additionally, he emphasized how India and Jordan could collectively align their respective roles in global supply chains by capitalizing on each other’s capabilities to enhance their productivity, creativity, and overall efficiency through good governance.
King Abdullah II, who also addressed the forum, spoke about Jordan’s network of Free Trade Agreements and how they could complement India’s growing economic strength. He described the potential for creating an economic corridor linking South Asia and West Asia, benefiting businesses on both sides. The forum brought together leaders from sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, agriculture, renewable energy, textiles, logistics, automobiles, defense, and manufacturing. Representatives from industry bodies of both countries discussed ways to turn existing potential into real economic growth and shared prosperity.
Personal drive with Jordan’s Crown Prince
One of the most talked-about moments of the visit came when Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally drove PM Modi to the Jordan Museum in Amman. The rare personal gesture reflected the warmth and closeness of ties between the two countries. The Jordan Museum, the country’s national museum, provides a trip through more than 1.5 million years of human history. During his visit, PM Modi saw displays highlighting Jordan’s rich cultural, historical, and archaeological legacy. The moment stood out as a symbol of mutual respect and personal relationship between the leaders of the two countries.
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Shared stand against terrorism
India and Jordan used the visit to strongly reaffirm their shared position against terrorism. Both sides condemned all forms of terrorism and emphasized support for measures to combat extremism and radicalization. Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation for the leadership of King Abdullah II of Jordan, who has worked to promote regional stability and moderation throughout the Middle East. He recalled their meeting on the margins of the United Nations in 2015 and how they had found more and more common ground in their working relationship. King Abdullah reiterated his support for India’s efforts to combat terrorism. Furthermore, King Abdullah repeated Jordan’s commitment to peace and security.
MoUs signed
During the trip, many agreements were established to promote cooperation in key industries such as renewable energy, water resources management, cultural, and digital public infrastructure. One of the most significant was the twin cities arrangement between Petra and Ellora, which connects two prominent cultural heritage sites while enhancing the relationship between the two cities for tourism and cultural exchange. The renewal of the Cultural Exchange Programme for 2025–2029 will ensure continued collaboration in arts, education, and heritage conservation. A letter of intent on digital solutions highlighted the growing focus on sharing successful large-scale digital innovations. Together, these agreements reflected a forward-looking partnership focused on delivering real benefits to people, economies, and cultural exchanges.
India-Jordan relationship
India and Jordan already share strong economic ties, with bilateral trade valued at around $2.8 billion. India is among Jordan’s top trading partners and relies heavily on Jordan for fertilizers such as phosphates and potash, which are critical for Indian agriculture. At the same time, India exports machinery, chemicals, cereals, frozen meat, and engineering goods to Jordan. As Jordan embarks on a new phase of economic reforms, opportunities for collaboration have expanded into areas such as renewable energy, fintech, automobiles, and advanced manufacturing. The visit helped identify new pathways to deepen this mutually beneficial relationship.
Concluding Jordan visit
As the visit drew to a close, PM Modi thanked King Abdullah II for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation. He conveyed his best wishes to the people of Jordan and expressed confidence in the future of the partnership. The King reciprocated with his good wishes for India’s continued progress and prosperity. On Tuesday, PM Modi concluded his landmark visit and departed for Ethiopia, the next stop on his tour. In another gesture reflecting the closeness of ties, Crown Prince Al Hussein personally saw him off at the airport in Amman. The visit left behind not just agreements and announcements, but a renewed sense of trust and shared purpose between India and Jordan.
