Amman, May 31 (Petra) -- In its first session, titled "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Jordan: An Opportunity or a Wave to Ride?", the Tawasul Forum, organized by the Crown Prince Foundation, highlighted on Saturday the role of technology and innovation in enhancing Jordan's competitiveness and developing the skills of its youth.

Marwan Juma, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology and founder of Dot Jo, who moderated the session, said job growth in the technology sector, which does not use artificial intelligence tools, was 9 percent in the last six years, but it reached 418 percent in jobs that do.

It took Google 11 years to reach 365 billion searches per year, while ChatGPT, which has 900 million users, took only two years to reach this figure, he pointed out.

Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Sami Smeirat, said the government is an enabler of the private sector and future technologies by developing strategies and policies for investment in these technologies, referring to a 2023-2027 strategy with multiple pillars, including capacity building and the development of Jordanian skills and expertise through education and training programs.

He said several executive capacity building programs for government sector workers are in place, where 15,000 senior leaders and employees are trained on AI tools, creating a harmonious dialogue between the government and the private sector in technology and artificial intelligence.

The strategy includes promoting scientific research and development, based on a full understanding of the need for AI policies and the advancement of scientific research, as well as boosting the investment and entrepreneurship environment in AI, said Smeirat.

This requires the presence of entrepreneurs, not just consumers, to harness these technologies and contribute to their development, he stressed.

The minister said the digital government is undertaking numerous projects, noting the need for a future technology council to transform the face of education, health, the economy, and entrepreneurship in Jordan in a public-private sector partnership.

He also highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to digitize the health sector and integrate AI tools for students, parents, and teachers.

Rami Alqawasmi, founder and CEO of Mawdoo3.com, a leading Arabic-language online content platform, pointed to a drastic change in all fields as the world witnessed an agricultural, industrial, and commercial revolution, and is now witnessing a rapidly evolving technological revolution.

This requires harnessing students' talents and developing their potential, driven by personal motivations and ambition to keep pace with change towards creativity and innovation, he said.

For his part, AJ Abdallat, CEO of Beyond Limits, highlighted the importance of changing the educational model from the start of the academic stage and incorporating supportive materials to meet modern requirements. He said Jordan has a golden opportunity to raise investment through accessing AI and building the necessary applications.

//Petra//SS


31/05/2025 18:45:43