Inaugurating a New Era of ICT in Jordan
Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Sami Smeirat, inaugurated the 10th Middle East and North Africa ICT Forum at the Dead Sea on Wednesday. The two-day forum, organized by the Information and Communications Technology Association (Int@j) in collaboration with the ministries of digital economy, entrepreneurship, and investment, highlights Jordan’s commitment to advancing the ICT sector as a key driver of economic growth and innovation.
Advancing Jordan’s ICT Achievements
Minister Smeirat emphasized His Majesty’s early recognition of ICT’s transformative potential, aiming to establish Jordan as a regional technology hub. The Kingdom’s ICT sector has made notable strides, including an 11-rank rise to 89th place in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, and a 26-rank improvement to 60th in the 2023 ICT Development Index. Additionally, Jordan improved by seven ranks to 71st in the 2023 Global Innovation Index and climbed 44 ranks to 27th in the Global Cybersecurity Index. Furthermore, early-stage entrepreneurial activity surged from 9.1% in 2020 to 15.7% in 2024, elevating Jordan’s global rank from 34th to 15th.
Strategic Digital Transformation Plans
The minister highlighted the government’s forward-looking strategies, including the National Digital Transformation Strategy (2021-2025) and the Jordanian AI Strategy (2023-2027). These efforts aim to digitalize 60% of government services by 2025, with full digitalization planned by that year. Initiatives like the Sanad application and the National Fiber Network have streamlined access to public services and enhanced connectivity across the Kingdom.
Economic Vision and ICT Sector Growth
The sector’s expansion aligns with the Economic Modernisation Vision, which targets ICT sector revenue growth from $0.9 billion in 2021 to $3.9 billion by 2033. The vision also includes increasing employment in the sector from 24,700 jobs in 2021 to 101,000 jobs by 2033, reinforcing Jordan’s role as a leader in regional digital transformation.
