Finding skilled labour in Jordan a ‘nightmare’, says developer
Policy of Jordanisation means recruiting skilled craftspeople is ‘like trying to win the lottery’, says construction exec
The developer behind a new luxury apartment complex in Jordan says it is a ‘nightmare’ to find quality craftspeople in the country, partly due to the policy of ‘Jordanisation’.
The comments were made by Dr Mohammed Nawaiseh, partner at World of Construction, the developer of the US$14m Palace Residences in Amman.
“The biggest obstacle for us in Jordan was the craftsmanship,” said Nawaiseh.
“Finding the right people in Jordan is like trying to win the lottery. To implement the design into reality is a nightmare, especially with Jordanisation.”
Jordanisation is a policy that favours the recruitment of Jordanian nationals, and is similar to other employment drives seen in countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Nawaiseh spoke to Middle East Consultant during a visit to the Palace Residences development, which was designed by Dubai-based consultant Lacasa.
Nawaiseh said regulation can prevent importing skilled labour from another country. “You can’t bring in an experienced painter from India or Egypt – you have to go into the local market and find someone who has registered. We ended up choosing many people we had worked with before.”
Despite the claimed lack of talent available locally, World of Construction managed to achieve the desired level of quality through constant supervision during the construction process, it says.
Co-partner Emad Jaber, who is also the managing partner of Lacasa, commented: “I’m so proud of the quality of the craftsman and the stone. This type of layout and quality is not available here in Amman.”
The full article detailing the site visit to the Palace Residences will appear in the February issue of Middle East Consultant
