Amman, May 20 (Petra) - The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.Global), the Arab Network for Creativity and Innovation (ANCI), the Arab Satellite and Digital Broadcasting Authority, and the Arab Smart Cities Forum on Wednesday held the "Innovation in the Time of Challenges Forum", which brought together Arab leaders, experts and decision-makers in innovation technology.
Senate President Faisal Fayez said in opening remarks that innovation is a defining moment of the age, where the capacity to keep pace with rapid technological change has become indispensable for progress and prosperity.
The forum is a catalyst for Arab youth to pursue innovation across disciplines and build confidence in their contributions to science and sustainable development to achieve development and serve the nation, he said.
Jordan has established itself as a leading Arab innovation and entrepreneurship model despite economic and geopolitical headwinds, crediting a favorable investment climate and advanced digital infrastructure, with backing by His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II for the technology, digital economy and innovation sectors, Fayez told the gathering.
He said Jordan has built dynamic ecosystems that cemented its standing as a regional hub for technology and startups, and expressed ambition to deepen that role.
Fayez said convening the forum at this moment, as the region and world navigate multiple challenges, conflicts and crises with far-reaching economic, political and humanitarian ramifications, reflects a strong collective will to confront those challenges and reinforce regional and international cooperation in support of development, innovation and joint action.
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and founder of TAG.Global, and chairman of the board of trustees of the Arab Network for Creativity and Innovation, said investment in the future is the real investment and the true path to success for individuals, institutions and states.
He announced the launch of the Arab Authority to Support Investment in Innovation, and unveiled plans for a scientific and artistic education initiative aimed at equipping graduates for labor market needs.
For his part, ANCI Secretary-General Fahd Al-Amleh said the forum underlines that Arab youth are capable of shaping the future and leading it, rather than being on the sidelines. Innovation is no longer an intellectual luxury, but a prerequisite for survival, he pointed out, warning that nations that fail to produce knowledge will remain dependent on those who do.
Former Lebanese Minister Yacoub Sarraf warned against Western innovation being diverted towards developing instruments of death, military artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and phone hacking. He called for an Arab-centered digital ecosystem built on Arabic-language software rather than reliance on translated Western systems.
Former Minister Maen Qatamin cautioned that while innovation powered industrial revolutions, the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence is generating unprecedented challenges, warning that a coming wave of disruption could significantly impact jobs and traditional markets as a handful of major technology firms tighten their grip on the global economy.
The forum's agenda covers the role of governments and international organizations in supporting Arab innovation ecosystems, digital transformation, cybersecurity, Arab water and food security, artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and education, and human development in the age of smart transformation.
//Petra// NQ
