Amman, Sept 16 (Petra) – A panel discussion, titled "Artificial Intelligence for Development: Implications for Jordan and the Region," on Wednesday tackled Jordan's efforts to enhance its readiness to transition from adopting AI technologies to leveraging them to generate economic and developmental value.
The session is part of the regional launch of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence. Jordan was the first country globally to host the launch event.
Participants included Minister of Education and Human Resources Development Azmi Mahafzah and Minister of State for Public Sector Development Badria Al-Balbisi. The session was moderated by Jordan Strategy Forum CEO Nesreen Barakat.
It addressed the requirements for building the skills and institutions needed to keep pace with the transformations driven by AI, as well as the technology's impact on education, the labor market, government administration, and public services.
Mahafzah said education's role must extend beyond teaching students how to use AI tools, but focus on preparing a generation equipped with skills and competencies that are becoming increasingly vital as these technologies evolve.
He highlighted the importance of fostering students' skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork, while also enhancing their ability to critically evaluate information generated by AI.
Jordan recognizes the magnitude of the transformations AI is bringing to government administration, Al-Balbisi said, adding that the second executive program of the public sector modernization roadmap includes a component dedicated to data and emerging technologies, including AI.
She said the government is working to come up with a more flexible, integrated, and future-ready model, noting that work is underway to launch a competency framework for integrating AI into the public sector.
The framework covers various stages of the government administration lifecycle, ranging from digital legislation and policies to digital government procedures and workflows, and extends to the application of AI in areas such as procurement, human resources management, and listening to citizens while addressing their feedback and complaints, said Al-Balbisi.
//Petra//SS
