Wooden and FurnitureSector
The Wooden and Furniture sector is one of the most important
industrial sectors in Jordan in terms of its contribution to the overall
economic activity and employment. It is one of the most promising
sectors experiencing exceptional growth and great opportunities for
investment. The growth of this sector is greatly linked with the growth of
the Construction Sector and urban activity, as its products are used in
the equipment of restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals and many other
economic activities.
The Wood and Furniture sector is the third largest industrial sector in
terms of the number of establishments, the most of which are craft
facilities that amount to about 97% of the sector's total establishments.
Such entities rely heavily on skilled labor allowing many job
opportunities; thus contributing to addressing the problem of
unemployment in Jordan as this sector is ranked fourth in terms of the
number of workers in craft facilities at the level of other industrial
sectors. Workers in the sector are characterized by competency,
precision and artistic activity which led to the excellence of the sector
besides raising its competiveness in both domestic and foreign markets.
Furniture industry in Jordan started in the form of small workshops
which played an important role in the production of handmade
furniture. Currently, furniture industry in Jordan includes a large
industrial scale operating facilities in terms of production, in order to
meet the local and foreign markets' needs of products like kitchen and
office furniture, home, schools, hospitals and hotels furniture.
Jordanian furniture manufactures keep pace of designs and trends in
target markets as they handle the task of developing new designs and
methods that satisfy the changing tastes of their customers. Most of
these facilities have already got the ISO 9000 certificate and other
required quality certificates, in addition to the use of the latest
technology and modern equipment to meet the international quality
standards.
The Wooden and Furniture sector includes the following sub-sectors:
 Wood panels, veneer and plywood and plastics.
 Wooden building products, carpentry, including doors, windows,
wooden frames and decoration works.
 Wooden molds.
 Wooden hand toolsand structures.
 Wooden handicrafts.
 Cork products, straw and plaiting.
 Kitchens.
 Furniture of all kinds (home, offices, restaurants, schools,
hospitals and laboratories).
 Mattresses.
 Ceramic pots, tableware and ornamental statues and other
ceramic products.
Jordanian furniture is distinguished by the use of the finest types of
woods and raw materials in the production processes, such as beech and
pine as well as a wide variety of wood imported from Africa, Asia and
South America. This has contributed to the production of high quality
products leading to exporting Jordanian furniture as Jordan exports to
eight major markets most of which are centered in the Arab Gulf
countries and Iraq.
Number and Volume of Establishments:
The total number of establishments operating in the Wooden and
Furniture industrial sector registered in the three chambers of industry
(Amman, Zarqa and Irbid) in the year 2014 has amounted to 2881,
compared to their number in the year 2013 which reached 2845,
registeringa 1.3% growth. The difference in both industrial and craft
facilities operating in the sector is shown in table (1).
Table (1): Number of Establishments in the Wood and Furniture Industry
Sector in (2013 – 2014)
Industrial Establisments
Local
Chambers
Craft Establishments
Total
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
Amman
78
60
-23%
1548
1654
7%
1626
1714
5.1%
Zarqa
14
15
7%
920
948
3%
934
963
3.1%
Irbid
2
5
150%
283
199
-30%
285
204
-28%
Total
94
80
-15%
2751
2801
2%
2845
2881
1.3%
Figure (1) demonstrates the number of craft and industrial enterprises
registered in industry chambers and geographical distribution in 2013 –
2014.
Number of Establishments Operating
in the Wood and Furnitre Industry
Sector (2013-2014)
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2014
2013
Industrial
Craft
Amman
Industrial
Craft
Zarqa
Industrial
Irbid
Craft
Figure (1): Number of Establishments Operating in the Wood and Furniture Industry Sector
According to Geographic Distribution (2013 – 2014)
Registered Capitals:
Capital of establishments operating in the sector has mounted to about
61 million Jordanian Dinars in the year 2014, compared to a nearly 71
million Jordanian Dinars in the year 2013, recording a 14% deficit.
Table (2): Total Registered Capitals for Establishments Operating in the Wood and
Furniture Industry Sector in 2013 – 2014 (Million Dinars)
Local
Chambers
Industrial Establisments
Craft Establishments
Total
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
Amman
41
30.6
-25%
23
24
4.3%
64
54.6
-15%
Zarqa
23
24
4.3%
27
3
11%
5
54
8%
Irbid
0.1
0.2
100%
12
12
0%
13
14
7.7%
Total
44
33
-25%
27
28
3.7%
71
61
-14%
Figure (2) shows the total registered capital of each entity of industrial
and craft enterprises registered in the three chambers of industry in
2013-2014
Figure (2): Total Capital of the Craft and Industrial Establishments in 2013-2014 According
to Chamber of Industry (Million Dinars)
Total Capital in wood and Furniture
Indutry Sector (2013-2014)
50
40
41
30.6
30
24 23
27
24 23
20
12 12
10
3
2014
2013
0.2 0.1
0
Industrial
Creaft
Industrial
Amman
Creaft
zarqa
Industrial
Creaft
Irbid
Number of Workers:
The total number of workers in the establishments operating in the
sector that are registered in the three chambers of industry (Amman,
Zarqa, Irbid) has amounted to 10,267 workers in the year 2014 ,
compared to their number in the year 2013 which reached 10,268
workers. The difference in both industrial and craft facilities operating in
the sector is shown in table (3).
Table (3): Number of Workers at Establishments Operating in the Wood and Furniture
Industry Sector in (2013 – 2014)
Industrial Establisments
Local
Chambers
Craft Establishments
Total
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
2013
2014
Growth
Amman
3926
3715
-5%
4034
4298
7%
7960
8013
0.7%
Zarqa
168
178
6%
1602
1646
3%
1770
1824
3%
Irbid
22
50
127%
516
380
-26%
538
430
-20%
Total
4116
3943
-4%
6152
6324
3%
10268
10267
0%
Figure (3): Number of workers at Craft and Industrial Establishments and Their
Distribution According to Industry Chambers in (2013 – 2014)
Number of Workers in Wood and
Furniture Industry Sector (2013-2014)
5000
4000
3000
2014
2000
2013
1000
0
Industrial
Craft
Amman
Exports:
Industrial
Zarqa
Craft
Industrial
Irbid
Craft
According to the certificates of origin issued by the local chambers of
industry, the total Wooden and Furniture sector’s exports have declined
from about 56 million Jordanian Dinars in the year 2013 to around 54
million Jordanian Dinars in the year 2014, recording a 4% decline as
illustrated in table (4).
Table (4): The Wood and Furniture Industry Sector Total
Exports Values (Million Dinars)
Industrial and Craft Establishments
Local Chambers
2013
2014
Growth
Amman
55
53
-4%
Zarqa
1
1
0
Irbid
0.05
0
-100%
Total
56
54
-4%
Figure (4): Industrial Exports Distributed by Chamber of Industry in (2013 – 2014)
In terms of the nature of the exported products, wooden furniture
exports account for the highest percentage, followed by garden
furniture, wooden doors, windows and kitchens respectively. It is worth
mentioning that the largest Arab markets to receive the sector's exports
are Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a row. Export markets also include
non-Arab countries, such as the United States and Austria respectively.
The ratio of wood and furniture exports is 1.1% of the total industrial
exports of all sectors.