Amman, June 10 (Petra) – CEO of the Association of Information and
Communication Technology Companies (Intaj) Nidal Bitar, affirmed His
Majesty King Abdullah II’s vision for the ICT sector, launched in
1999 through “REACH Initiative,” constituted the key turning point in
development of Jordan’s digital economy.

He noted this insight established a sector that is now a “key driver”
of economic growth and employment in the Kingdom.

According to an Intaj statement issued on Wednesday, Bitar said the
“REACH Initiative” laid out a “clear” roadmap for enhancing the
sector and yielded “crucial strategic” outcomes, mainly
establishment of a ministry for communications and information
technology.

Additionally, he said an umbrella organization was established to
represent private sector companies, which later materialized in
Intaj, founded in 2000.

Bitar added that joint work between the public and private sectors,
based on “clear” performance indicators and strategic plans, has
contributed to achieving “qualitative” leaps over the past 27 years.

The number of employees in the sector increased from approximately
8,000 at the beginning of the millennium to more than 46,000
currently, he pointed out.

He said the sector’s revenues has risen from approximately $320
million at the beginning of its journey to around $3.6 billion today,
reflecting the sector’s “significant” development and its potential
to become a major economic driver for the national economy.

Bitar stated Jordan has “successfully built an advanced” digital
infrastructure during this period.

Citing introduction of 5G services, he referred to milestones in
boosting technology exports, developing its cybersecurity system, and
enhancing the outputs of technical education to prepare qualified
human resources for the local and global labor markets.

Regarding digital transformation, he noted establishment of the
National Council for Future Technologies in early 2025 was a
“crucial” step in accelerating the implementation of strategic
digital projects.

Among the key initiatives launched recently is “Siraj” smart virtual
assistant in the education sector, which is used by approximately
200,000 students and teachers, he pointed out.

He also noted other digital signature projects and initiatives were
launched to promote digital transformation in the Kingdom.

//Petra// AG