With the Lower House’s approval of the 2026 General Budget, Jordan is on the threshold of a new phase of governmental work linked to the Economic Modernisation Vision. The endorsement carries political and economic messages that reflect a national recognition of the need to move from planning to execution.

 

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan highlighted that completion of the budget by mid-December is not an administrative luxury, but a commitment to ensuring the start of the capital projects early 2026 without interruption, emphasising that there is “no room for delay or hesitation.”

 

Hassan said in a speech following parliamentary debates on the draft budget law that the government will take all necessary measures to achieve national priorities, strengthen the economy, create opportunities for the younger generation youth and improve services for citizens.

 

The new budget goes beyond numbers on paper, as it outlines priorities for the second phase of the Economic Modernisation Vision. Finnace Minister Abdelhakim Shibli emphasised the budget’s focus on strategic projects in education, health and infrastructure, including plans to establish 71 new schools and increasing the allocations of the health sector. All are measures that highlight the government’s recognition that health and education are the cornerstones for real future growth.

 

However, the most important element in the state budget, and in the government’s discourse as a whole, is the strategic mega projects. The government is set to launch investment projects worth $10 billion, including the National Water Carrier, the railway expansion, the Risha gas pipeline, improvements in public transport, major energy and infrastructure initiatives and the development of “Amra City.”

 

What distinguishes the government’s discourse is the linkage of these projects to binding timelines, with tenders to be floated in 2026 and implementation scheduled between 2028 and 2030. These explicit time frames place the government under a real test, as they allow for clearer parliamentary and public oversight.

 

Prime Minister Hassan underscored the government’s commitment to full collaboration with the Lower House throughout the implementation of the 2026 budget, emphasising transparency, cooperation and openness.

 

As the government announces these much-needed mega projects, it’s responsibility remains significant. Jordanians today expect these projects to translate into better quality of living and improvements in daily life, whether by creation of new job opportunities, elevated services, modernised infrastructure and real economic growth that the public can feel.

 

Injecting hundreds of millions into capital expenditure is certainly positive, but its success depends on other equally important factors, such as efficiency of public administration, monitored public execution and transparency in the bidding and contracting phases among other elements.

 

The 2026 budget may be one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious budgets in years, but also one of the most promising and challenging at the same time. The obligations are great and the public’s expectations are high. However, if the government commits to its clarity of vision and explicit timelines, and if it’s declared determination on execution translates into real action, the 2026 general budget could set Jordan on the path toward the resilient and dynamic economy it aims to achieve.