Amman, Sept. 16 (Petra) – Jordan on Wednesday hosted the regional launch of the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), becoming the first country to host a national-level launch event for the report.
The report examines how artificial intelligence can help developing economies accelerate development, raise productivity, improve public services, and create economic opportunities by adopting available technologies, adapting them to local needs and data, and gradually building more advanced capabilities. It identifies opportunities for Jordan in exportable digital and knowledge-based services and places the Kingdom, alongside Egypt and Morocco, among regional service-export hubs. The report says AI could help raise worker productivity, improve services, and expand Jordanian companies’ access to international markets.
Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Smeirat said Jordan has sought to move beyond using AI as a tool toward integrating it into productivity, economic growth, and value creation. He cited the Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Policy, the AI Strategy and its 2023–2027 implementation plan, and the establishment of the National Council for Future Technology as key elements of the national framework.
Smeirat also pointed to partnerships with regional and international technology companies, including the recent agreement with Saudi AI company HUMAIN. He said Jordan aims to strengthen its role in AI-driven value creation by investing in human capital, enabling the private sector, improving digital infrastructure, and expanding opportunities for Jordanian companies and professionals in regional and global markets.
World Bank Division Director for the Middle East Department, Dahlia Khalifa, said Jordan is well positioned to use AI to support development, improve employment opportunities, and strengthen public services. She stressed the importance of continued investment in skills, institutions, and digital infrastructure, as well as adapting AI to local needs.
International Finance Corporation (IFC) Division Director for the Levant, Iraq, and Yemen, Thomas Jacobs, said adopting AI and adapting it to local needs requires investment in infrastructure and human capital. He highlighted the private sector’s role in mobilizing such investment, supporting innovation, and creating employment opportunities in line with Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision.
The launch included a presentation of the report’s main findings and a panel discussion titled "AI for Development: Implications for Jordan and the Region," bringing together officials, experts, representatives of the public and private sectors, academics, and World Bank Group representatives.
//Petra// AO
