Samer Tannous started his scented candles business with his family seven years ago and with the help of a Royal Court project he has been able to expand his business.

Tannous imports original soy wax and scents from abroad to make high quality scented candles. As part of the Productive Youth Initiative launched by the Royal Hashemite Court in 2019, Tannous was able to access more resources, which refelected positively on his project.

He was among the beneficiaries of the initiative who showcased their products to Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania last week.

According to Princess Taghrid Institute for Development and Training, which had a role in the implementation of the initiative, 35 young Jordanians have received training to enhance the quality of their products and market them online following international standards.

Tannous visited Karak and Iraq Al Amir as part of his programme with the initiative, where he had received field training from local women experienced in extracting essential oils from different products such as lavender.

"I have created my scented candles with the help of the women in the villages,” he added.

Tannous said the initiative made it easier to access raw materials like cotton, which is an essential part for the candle wick.

"We buy pottery candle melters from Iraq Al Amir’s women, which helps them too,” Tannous told The Jordan Times.

The Princess Taghrid institute holds numerous bazaars and events, giving trainees and small businesses the opportunity to showcase and sell their products, according to Tannous.

The pandemic has negatively affected the sales in local shops, Tannous noted. Nevertheless, he highlighted the fact that also as a result of the pandemic, sales through the Internet have hiked given the increased popularity of shopping online. Overall, Tannous’ sales and revenues have been going up.  

Tannous highlighted the need for better services regarding cash flow from banks in order to be able to purchase more raw materials from abroad.

"We are receiving more orders. A tonne of wax used to last for a year but now it lasts for two months only. A better cash flow is needed in order to be able to secure more raw materials and meet customers’ demand,” Tannous said. 

Tannous added that he is working on expanding his business with the hope to not only cover the domestic market but also be able to export products tapping into regional markets.