Dialogue with Jordanian Minister of Information & Communication Technology

The Wilson Center hosted the Jordanian Minister of ICT, his Excellency Mr. Mothanna Gharaibeh, to discuss his country’s innovative and ambitious approach to developing ICT infrastructure and encouraging a tech-startup base. Boasting internet and cellular phone penetration close to 100 percent, Jordan already creates over 70 percent of original online Arabic content. With a head start on integrating ICT into the infrastructure and workforce, Jordan intends to become the hub for the regional Arabic Cloud and to develop the first Arabic speech recognition AI. Organized by the Middle East and North Africa Workforce Development Initiative and attended by scholars and staff from the Middle East Program and Science Technology and Innovation Program, Wilson Center colleagues and their guests discussed the implications of these projects for employment, innovation, and economic development.