- Princess calls on Jordan and the region to move beyond consuming technology and become active contributors to its development, stressing the importance of digital sovereignty, skills and inclusive growth.

Amman, Nov. 1 (Petra) - The real measure of artificial intelligence is not how quickly countries adopt it, but how effectively they use it to transform their economies, address societal challenges and improve people’s lives. This was the central message delivered by HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society, at the "AI: From Adoption to Impact – Sovereignty, Skills, and Inclusive Digital Growth Forum", held in Amman on Sunday.

Speaking during a fireside conversation moderated by Ms Maha Bahou, Chief Executive Officer of the Jordan Payments and Clearing Company (JoPACC), Princess Sumaya called for Jordan and the wider region to move beyond being consumers of technology and become active contributors to its development. She stressed that the next phase of the AI revolution must be shaped by countries capable of developing their own solutions, nurturing talent and ensuring that technological progress translates into tangible economic and social benefits.

She emphasised that digital sovereignty should not be understood simply as ownership of infrastructure or data, but as the ability of nations to shape, govern and benefit from their own digital futures. Jordan, she said, must build the capacity to participate meaningfully in the development of emerging technologies rather than depend entirely on solutions developed elsewhere.

Drawing on international experiences, Princess Sumaya referred to Estonia’s advances in digital governance, India’s digital public infrastructure, Finland’s investment in education, Morocco’s renewable energy ambitions and Costa Rica’s approach to sustainable development. These examples, she noted, demonstrate how countries can use technology and innovation to respond to their own priorities and build distinctive development models.

She placed particular emphasis on the human dimension of artificial intelligence, arguing that technology alone cannot deliver transformation. Education and skills development must therefore remain central, with greater attention given to critical thinking, creativity, adaptability and lifelong learning. As AI reshapes professional roles and industries, people must be equipped not only to use new tools, but also to question, develop and apply them responsibly.

Princess Sumaya identified healthcare, education, energy security and climate change as areas in which AI could make a particularly meaningful contribution. She also underlined the need for responsible AI frameworks that address ethics, governance, data protection and the wider environmental and social consequences of technological development. Achieving this, she said, requires capable institutions, evidence-based policymaking, appropriate regulation and effective collaboration between the public and private sectors, all underpinned by trust.

Fadi Qutaishat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), highlighted the opportunity for Jordan to develop a competitive artificial intelligence industry capable of serving regional and international markets.

He pointed to the potential of building an Arabic-language layer on top of global AI models, including speech recognition across different Arabic dialects, language models adapted to local needs and advanced text-to-speech technologies. Jordan’s pool of highly skilled talent, he said, provides a strong foundation for developing such solutions. He also stressed the importance of government institutions adopting locally developed technologies and creating opportunities for Jordanian companies and young professionals.

Nidal Bitar, Chief Executive Officer of int@j, stressed that the success of AI adoption must ultimately be measured through its contribution to productivity, competitiveness and wider economic participation. He highlighted the forum’s three central themes: digital sovereignty, skills and inclusive growth. Bitar also acknowledged HRH Princess Sumaya’s patronage of ShETechs since its establishment in 2018, recognising her longstanding commitment to advancing women’s participation and economic empowerment in the ICT sector.

German Ambassador to Jordan Dr Bertram von Moltke highlighted the growing integration of AI across Jordan’s ICT sector, noting that more than 60 per cent of companies were incorporating AI into their products and services. He referred to practical applications in manufacturing and retail, where AI can improve quality, reduce waste and strengthen demand and inventory forecasting.

The Ambassador also acknowledged Princess Sumaya’s longstanding contribution to scientific and technological development in Jordan. He referred to the establishment of Princess Sumaya University for Technology in 1991 and the role of the Royal Scientific Society in connecting research, innovation and business. He further highlighted the Society’s incubator, which has supported the launch of more than 250 start-ups, as an example of the ecosystem needed to turn knowledge and research into economic opportunity.

The forum’s keynote address, "The State of AI Impact", was delivered by Dr Hamza F. Alsarhan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OpsHaven Technologies. He examined the gap between adopting AI tools and achieving meaningful organisational impact, emphasising that moving beyond pilot projects to operational solutions requires sound data preparation, effective integration, robust security and a clear understanding of return on investment.

A further focus of the forum was the role of young people in shaping Jordan’s technological future. The university competition, "A Leap Towards 2033", attracted 64 submissions from 73 students representing 17 Jordanian universities, with 11 projects selected for presentation. The breadth of participation was particularly notable, bringing together students from nursing, pharmacy, business, media, film, applied arts and education, demonstrating that the future of AI is not confined to traditional technology disciplines. Three winning entries were recognised during the forum.

Discussions throughout the day explored the practical returns on investment in AI, Jordanian success stories, the skills required for the changing labour market, the emergence of the AI-augmented professional, digital sovereignty and infrastructure, and the question of who is best placed to deliver meaningful impact.

Organised by int@j through its ShETechs Unit, the forum was supported by the second phase of the Innovative Private Sector Development Project (IPSD II), implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply.

The forum’s central message was that Jordan’s opportunity lies not simply in keeping pace with the global AI revolution, but in helping shape it. That will require investment in people, research and home-grown innovation, alongside the policies, partnerships and institutions needed to ensure that technological progress delivers lasting and inclusive benefits.

//Petra// HA