For General Investment Company – previously known as Jordan Breweries – 1948 marks a success story and an everlasting brewery legacy. Dr. Raouf Abujaber first established this family-owned business that year by importing Amstel beer into Jordan. Then, in 1955, the construction of the brewery began.
From constructing a small brewery in Zarqa to exporting regionally, GIC is Jordan’s first brewery AND the world’s first Amstel brew house outside the Netherlands. GIC continued expanding its brewery and product lines with the introduction of Petra beer, the first brewed Jordanian beer brand, which has become a well-known Jordanian beverage symbol.
The company then expanded its presence in 1968 when Heineken acquired Amstel, making GIC a Heineken JV. before exporting to Palestine, Syria and Iraq. This is in addition to producing several soft drinks and separate lines. The company then shifted its focus in 1987 from being a family-owned business to becoming a public shareholding company.