Jordan and Saudi Arabia signed an amended protocol on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, to restructure their Supreme Coordination Council. Representatives from both nations finalized the agreement to update the framework governing their bilateral relations. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry statement noted the move aims to "strengthen the council’s role in institutionalizing and expanding cooperation and coordination between the two countries." The restructured body is designed to streamline diplomatic and economic engagement between Amman and Riyadh. Officials from both states intend for the new protocol to improve the efficiency of their joint initiatives moving forward.
Expanding Bilateral Institutional Cooperation
Jordan and Saudi Arabia originally established the Supreme Coordination Council in 2016. That initial framework served as the primary mechanism for managing bilateral engagement between Amman and Riyadh over the last decade. Officials designed the original structure to manage high-level political and economic dialogue between the two nations. The newly signed protocol builds upon this existing foundation by restructuring the council to improve current operational efficiency. Representatives from the two states intend to transition from the 2016 model to the updated arrangement immediately. This modification reflects a decade of diplomatic interaction between Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The revised council will now manage all ongoing joint initiatives according to the terms finalized on 21 October 2026.
Economic Ties and Investment Growth
Trade volumes between Jordan and Saudi Arabia reached a total exceeding $4 billion in 2025. During that same calendar year, Saudi Arabia accounted for 14% of Jordan’s total trade activity. These figures represent the current scale of commercial exchange between the two nations as they seek to integrate their economic interests through the restructured Supreme Coordination Council.
Financial commitments from Saudi entities remain a cornerstone of this relationship, with Saudi investments in Jordan totaling approximately $16 billion. These funds are distributed across multiple sectors, specifically transport, tourism, financial services, and trade. Beyond direct capital investment, the tourism sector experienced growth in 2025, as the number of Saudi tourists visiting Jordan increased by about 14%.
Security concerns also form part of the bilateral dialogue managed by the council. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi addressed regional stability during recent discussions, focusing on the security of Saudi Arabia. He stated that Jordan maintains "absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting attacks by the Houthi group."
Ayman Safadi further characterized these security threats as a "blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter." His comments serve to align Jordan’s diplomatic position with the security requirements of Riyadh as the two states refine their cooperation mechanisms. The restructured council framework is intended to provide a venue for managing both the expansion of these economic interests and the coordination of regional security positions.
