GENERAL
Official name of the state
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Capital
Amman.
Geography
As a country located in Middle East according to top-mba-universities, Jordan borders Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the West Bank to the west, Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, and Saudi Arabia to the south and southeast. In the northwest lies the Dead Sea and in the southwest the Red Sea with the only port city Aqaba. A plateau extends over 324 km from the Syrian border to Ras en Naqeb in the south; the capital Amman is 800 m above sea level. d. M., parts of the hill country northwest of the capital are forested. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth (400 m above sea level). The Jordan connects the Dead Sea with the Sea of Galilee in Israel. About 80% of the country, especially the east, consists of desert.
Government
Constitutional monarchy since 1952. Constitution from 1952, last amended in 2012. Bicameral Parliament: House of Representatives (election every four years) and Senate (appointed by the King for four years). Independent since 1946 (former British mandate).
Head of state
King Abdullah Ibn al-Hussein, since 1999.
Head of government
Hani Mulki, since May 2016.
Electricity
230 V, 50 Hz. European sockets are widely used, but adapters are recommended.
Time zone
Arabia Standard Time: CET +3 (CET +4 from March 30 to October 26, 2017)
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
English is generally spoken in business circles. It is best to avoid Friday appointments and take a supply of business cards with you.
Opening hours
Business hours: Sun-Thu 8.30am-6pm. Lunch break usually between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Economy
Trade department of the Embassy of Jordan
Heerstraße 201, D-13595 Berlin
Tel: (030) 369 96 00.
Internet: www.jordanembassy.de
Arab-German Association for Trade and Industry eV
Garnisonkirchplatz 1, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 278 90 70.
Internet: www.ghorfa.de
Austrian-Arab Chamber of Commerce
Lobkowitzplatz 1, Postfach 181, A-1015 Vienna
Tel: (01) 513 39 65.
Internet: www.aacc.at
Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI)
Zahran Street, JO-Amman
Tel: (06) 464 30 01.
Internet: www.aci.org.jo
Federation of Jordanian Chambers of Commerce (FJCC)
PO Box 7029, JO-Amman 11118
Tel: (06) 566 54 92, 567 44 95.
Internet: www.jocc.org.jo
Business contacts
Trade department of the Embassy of Jordan
Heerstraße 201, D-13595 Berlin
Tel: (030) 369 96 00.
Internet: www.jordanembassy.de
Arab-German Association for Trade and Industry eV
Garnisonkirchplatz 1, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 278 90 70.
Internet: www.ghorfa.de
Austrian-Arab Chamber of Commerce
Lobkowitzplatz 1, Postfach 181, A-1015 Vienna
Tel: (01) 513 39 65.
Internet: www.aacc.at
Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI)
Zahran Street, JO-Amman
Tel: (06) 464 30 01.
Internet: www.aci.org.jo
Federation of Jordanian Chambers of Commerce (FJCC)
PO Box 7029, JO-Amman 11118
Tel: (06) 566 54 92, 567 44 95.
Internet: www.jocc.org.jo
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 00962. Public card phones are located in almost all major cities and at the sights. Phone cards can be purchased in numerous stores and also online. Calls from hotels are often very expensive. Internet cafes offer a cheaper alternative. Emergency numbers are: emergency doctor 193 and police 191 and 192.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. International roaming agreements exist. The transmission and reception area covers the country well, apart from a few desert areas. An inexpensive option is to make calls with a domestic SIM card from Zain Jordan, among others (Internet: www.jo.zain.com). If you buy this from a mobile phone dealer, the card is activated on site.
Internet
The main provider is Orange (Internet: www.orange.jo/EN). Internet cafes can be found in numerous cities. Hotels also offer access to the Internet.
Post Office
Packages should remain open for customs inspection. Airmail to Europe takes 3-5 days, delivery within 24 hours to 22 countries is offered for an additional charge. Post office hours: Sat-Thu 8:00 am-6:00pm, closed Fri (except for the post office in Amman’s business district, Prince Mohammed Street)
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULTURE
Religion
92% Sunni Muslims, Christian (6%) and Shiite minorities.
Social rules of conduct
Manners: Shake hands to greet you. Arab culture and hospitality are of great importance to Jordanians. Visitors are warmly welcomed, Jordanians are happy to be hosts and advisors and willingly provide information about culture and traditions. Islam plays an important role in social life. Arabic coffee is often and abundantly offered at social events. If you don’t tilt the cup slightly to one side when returning it, it will be refilled automatically. Small gifts are gladly accepted.
Clothing: Women should dress cautiously. Swimwear belongs on the private beach or at the pool. Jordanian women go swimming fully clothed.
Taking photos: Ask permission before taking photos. Photography is generally not permitted in some places. Military installations may not be photographed.
Tip: An extra tip is at the guest’s discretion, but waiters and other service providers are happy about a tip of approx. 10%. In a taxi, you usually round up to the next 100 fil.
Smoking: In Jordan, smoking is prohibited in all restaurants, hospitals, schools, cinemas, theaters, museums, public transport, airports and covered shopping centers. Water pipes (shishas) are also not allowed to be smoked in these places.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +962 Area (sqkm) 89342 Population 8117564 Population density (per sqkm) 91 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 911
