On 18-20 February 2025, the OECD organised consultation meetings in Amman, Jordan. These PPD meetings were the first cross-thematic PPD workshops in the second phase of the project and focused on upscaling necessary capacities to engage in constructive policy dialogues. The primary aim of these discussions is to engage selected key private sector representatives, build a collective understanding, encourage complementary actions and achieve common goals.

The PPD event brought together key private sector stakeholders in Yemen, including representatives from chambers of commerce, business associations and companies, along with key officials from relevant Jordanian ministries and government agencies and, experts from international donor organizations.

The Yemeni private sector identified the following priorities:

• Effective communication and trust-building between Yemen’s government and private sector, addressing strategies for fostering constructive dialogue, overcoming mistrust and creating collaborative partnerships.
• Resilience of Yemen’s private sector in navigating the challenges posed by ongoing political fragmentation, focusing on the private sector's critical role in maintaining essential services and fostering economic recovery amidst instability
• Enhancing financial inclusion for MSMEs and promoting women's economic empowerment within the private sector.
• Creating market-relevant training, supporting both men and women entrepreneurs and addressing issues like currency volatility and loan age limits.
• Holding safe spaces for women and collaborating with ministries to ensure training legitimacy, while considering social norms and supporting women facing unique challenges.
• Expanding access to finance and credit for businesses by improving understanding of regulatory frameworks and leveraging digital financial services.
• Leveraging infrastructure and connectivity investments to boost innovation and improve the competitiveness of Yemen's private sector.
• Highlighting the role of climate adaptation and risk management in shaping policies that support sustainable private sector growth.

Yemeni private actors received several key recommendations for improving Yemen's private sector. These included:

• Fostering a joint vision between chambers of commerce and governance, increasing dialogue between the private sector and government and creating a unified strategy.
• Empowering women, involving the private sector in peacebuilding and legislation and ensuring government flexibility were also highlighted.
• The need for capacity building, connecting entrepreneurs to markets, reducing ad hoc taxes and providing government guarantees for businesses were discussed.

Yemen’s private sector representatives engaged in peer learning sessions with Jordanian counterparts. In these peer-learning sessions, Yemen’s private actors gained insights into Jordan’s private sector efforts to strengthen financial systems, enhance investment flows and support sustainable development in challenging contexts. The exchange also highlighted the role of digital transformation, talent development and public-private partnerships as key drivers of economic resilience and growth.