Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Jordan

Hanging by a Thread—The Red Sea Blockade and Jordan's Fragile Garment Industry — Bangladeshi women at work in a Chinese-owned garment factory in Jordan, 2024. Katharina GrüeneislFig.1 Changing import and export routes in Jordan’s garment sector in reaction to the Red Sea blockade. (Source: Lagarde, Grüeneisl and Labadi 2024)View over the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in June 2024. Katharina GrüeneislMigrant workers walk back to their dormitories in the Al-Hassan (Irbid) industrial zone, 2024. Katharina Grüeneisl

MER Article

Hanging by a Thread—The Red Sea Blockade and Jordan's Fragile Garment Industry

Houthi attacks have revealed an industrial paradox.

Katharina Grüneisl, Taher Labadi • 15 min read

Jordan’s Syrian Refugee Response and Discriminatory Development Aid — Workers harvest tomatoes in Ghor Haditha, Jordan, 2021. Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe landscape of laws and regulations governing refugee assistance and access to work is convoluted and difficult to navigate. Image by cartoonist Othman Selmi.

Current Analysis

Jordan’s Syrian Refugee Response and Discriminatory Development Aid

The labor-oriented migration policies celebrated by European donors leave many more vulnerable.

Shaddin Almasri • 10 min read

Palestine and the Limits of Permissible Protest in Jordan — Members of Jordan’s Darak forces (gendarmerie) stand on guard as protesters gather for a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in Amman on October 27, 2023. Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images

MER Article

Palestine and the Limits of Permissible Protest in Jordan

Will recent demonstrations against the Gaza War threaten the regime?

Jillian Schwedler • 6 min read

The Everyday Politics of Authoritarian Rule in Jordan — Jillian Schwedler, Protesting Jordan: Geographies of Power and Dissent (Stanford University Press, 2022)José Ciro Martínez, States of Subsistence: The Politics of Bread in Contemporary Jordan (Stanford University Press, 2022)Jessica Watkins, Creating Consent in an Illiberal Order: Policing Disputes in Jordan (Cambridge University Press, 2022)

Current Analysis

The Everyday Politics of Authoritarian Rule in Jordan

Three recent books on Jordan trace authoritarianism in the mundane rhythms of daily life.

Sean L. Yom • 15 min read

Not Lost in Translation—An Interview with Jordanian Author and Activist Hisham Bustani — Hisham Bustani

Current Analysis

Not Lost in Translation—An Interview with Jordanian Author and Activist Hisham Bustani

Curtis Ryan interviews the award-winning Jordanian writer Hisham Bustani about his innovative literary works in multiple genres, the art of translation, government censorship and his political activism. This wide-ranging discussion provides an illuminating view into Bustani's creative processes as w

Hisham Bustani, Curtis Ryan • 12 min read

The Challenges of Palestinian Solidarity in Amman’s Street Art Scene — Randa Abu Rahmeh’s mural references the Palestinian struggle for the right to return. A line from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish states, “I come from there and I have memories.” The border of the mural is inspired by Palestinian embroidery. Photo by the author.An artist who goes by the name wawi9_1 painted an electrical box with a tribute to the late British-American rapper MF Doom. The other half contains a line from the Palestinian rapper Muqata‘a that reads, “tuck your shirt into your pants,” referring to Palestinians showing Israeli soldiers they are not hiding a weapon. Photo by the author.A government banner in Amman depicts Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock Mosque along with the words, “Jerusalem is a personal issue for the Hashemites” and “Palestine is in the heart of every Jordanian,” with a Palestinian flag interlinked with a Jordanian one. On the tunnel wall is spray painted, “All of Palestine is ours from the river to the sea.” Photo by the author.Dalal Mitwally’s mural for an arts festival in Amman. According to Mitwally’s Instagram, the mural honors the stories passed down from older generations and, along with them, a sense of identity and “revolutionary resistance.” Photo by the author.

Current Analysis

The Challenges of Palestinian Solidarity in Amman’s Street Art Scene

In the summer of 2021, street artists in Amman risked crossing the Jordanian government's red lines when they painted murals and graffiti expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Kyle Craig spoke with the artists about this unexpected shift in their public art practic

Kyle Craig • 17 min read

The Prince’s Speech and Activist Grievances in Jordan — Jordanian protesters shout slogans against the Jordanian government raising gasoline prices during a demonstration demanding political reforms, in Amman, June 15, 2012. Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

Current Analysis

The Prince’s Speech and Activist Grievances in Jordan

On April 3, 2021, Prince Hamzeh bin Hussein of Jordan was confined by the Jordanian armed forces to his home and cut off from outside communication. While many observers speculate about palace politics, Matthew Lacouture delves into the significance of the prince's statements decrying corruption and

Matthew Lacouture • 11 min read

Jordan’s 2020 Election Shifts from Landmark Poll to Business as Usual — Political posters in Amman, Jordan in the run up to the November 2020 parliamentary election. Photo by the author.

Current Analysis

Jordan’s 2020 Election Shifts from Landmark Poll to Business as Usual

November 2020 is election season not only in the United States, but also in Jordan where the prospects for a shakeup in parliament are quickly receding. Based on interviews with Jordanian political leaders, E.J. Karmel explains the shifting dynamics among candidates, lists, parties and currents that

E.J. Karmel • 12 min read

Bird Markets, Artisanal Pigeons and Class Relations in the Middle East — Downtown Amman bird market, May 2012. Photo by the author.Dr. Akbar’s Auction, March 2017. Photo by the author.Ghalib Malik’s Auction, May 2019. Photo by the author.Suq al-Tuyuur sign in Downtown Amman, March 2017. Photo by the author.Ghalib Malik’s shop and auction, March 2017. Photo by the author.

MER Article

Bird Markets, Artisanal Pigeons and Class Relations in the Middle East

On a dark, empty lot along Garden Street in Amman, Jordan stands an illuminated sign for Victors Café, a subterranean game space advertising pinball, pool and snooker, where pigeon breeders in the know secretly gather every Friday at 9pm for one of the best bird auctions in the capital.

Bridget Guarasci • 12 min read

Voices from the Middle East: Providing Urgent Aid to Refugees in Amman, Jordan — People buy food after Jordan announced it would relax the curfew to allow people to go on foot to buy groceries in neighborhood shops, amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, Amman. March 25, 2020. Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

Covid-19 Coverage

Voices from the Middle East: Providing Urgent Aid to Refugees in Amman, Jordan

Jordan's strict nationwide curfew and ban on car traffic in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is complicating crucial aid delivery to refugees. Amanda Lane, executive director of the Collateral Repair Project, explains how they are coping with the new restrictions and why the situation was already s

Amanda Lane • 6 min read

Refugees at Risk in Jordan's Response to COVID-19 — An ambulance on empty streets after the start of a nationwide curfew, amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, in Amman, Jordan. March 21, 2020. Muhammad Hamed/Reuters

Covid-19 Coverage

Refugees at Risk in Jordan's Response to COVID-19

The Jordanian government's severe restrictions on movement to contain the spread of COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting refugees and low-income Jordanians. While the government has established a national fund for needy Jordanian families, resources for the large population of already insecure r

Reva Dhingra • 8 min read

Resurgent Protests Confront New and Old Red Lines in Jordan

In response to multiple waves of protests, including a surge of protests in 2019, the Jordanian state has worked hard to establish and enforce five red lines for the protests not to cross in order to rein in the potential impact of unified protests across the kingdom.

Curtis Ryan • 15 min read