Business
Companies Law 1997, and development zones as the main investment vehicle
Companies are registered under the Companies Law No. 22 of 1997. The Investment Law 2022 consolidated incentives, and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and development zones offer distinct tax and customs regimes.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National, with zone-specific regimes in Aqaba and designated development areas.
Governing law
- Companies Law No. 22 of 1997, as amended
- Investment Environment Law No. 21 of 2022
- Aqaba Special Economic Zone Law No. 32 of 2000
In practice
The usual forms are the limited liability company and the private shareholding company. Foreign ownership is permitted up to 100 per cent in most sectors, with a negative list covering some services and a minimum capital requirement for foreign investors that the 2022 law relaxed. The 2022 Investment Environment Law replaced the 2014 regime, consolidating incentives and creating a one-stop investment window. Aqaba operates a genuinely separate regime with a 5 per cent income tax and customs exemptions, which is why a large share of foreign-invested manufacturing sits there rather than around Amman.