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ABOUT THIS STORY

The sensitive political situation in the West Bank and Gaza negatively affects the local economy, making investors wary. As a result, the region does not attract sufficient foreign direct investment to grow economically.

To address these issues, USAID’s Palestinian Investment Partners project provided grants to 35 Palestinian small- and medium-sized enterprises in sectors with significant growth potential — including stone and marble, food processing, textiles, dairy, home furnishing and plastics — leveraging over $14 million in partner equipment investment.

From 2008 to 2012, this fixed capital financing mechanism accelerated these companies’ expansion, enhanced economic activity in the West Bank and created new economic opportunities.

By the end of the project, the companies’ revenues had increased by more than $32 million and they had created more than 800 new jobs — demonstrating the West Bank’s potential as a profitable and business-friendly place to invest.