Amman, May 20 (Petra) – The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital
(TAG.Global), the Arab Network for Creativity and Innovation (ANCI),
the Arab Satellite and Digital Broadcasting Authority, and the Arab
Smart Cities Forum on Wednesday held the “Innovation in the Time of
Challenges Forum”, which brought together Arab leaders, experts and
decision-makers in innovation technology.

Senate President Faisal Fayez said in opening remarks that innovation
is a defining moment of the age, where the capacity to keep pace with
rapid technological change has become indispensable for progress and
prosperity.

The forum is a catalyst for Arab youth to pursue innovation across
disciplines and build confidence in their contributions to science
and sustainable development to achieve development and serve the
nation, he said.

Jordan has established itself as a leading Arab innovation and
entrepreneurship model despite economic and geopolitical headwinds,
crediting a favorable investment climate and advanced digital
infrastructure, with backing by His Majesty King Abdullah II and His
Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II for the
technology, digital economy and innovation sectors, Fayez told the
gathering.

He said Jordan has built dynamic ecosystems that cemented its
standing as a regional hub for technology and startups, and expressed
ambition to deepen that role.

Fayez said convening the forum at this moment, as the region and
world navigate multiple challenges, conflicts and crises with
far-reaching economic, political and humanitarian ramifications,
reflects a strong collective will to confront those challenges and
reinforce regional and international cooperation in support of
development, innovation and joint action.

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and founder of TAG.Global, and chairman
of the board of trustees of the Arab Network for Creativity and
Innovation, said investment in the future is the real investment and
the true path to success for individuals, institutions and states.

He announced the launch of the Arab Authority to Support Investment
in Innovation, and unveiled plans for a scientific and artistic
education initiative aimed at equipping graduates for labor market
needs.

For his part, ANCI Secretary-General Fahd Al-Amleh said the forum
underlines that Arab youth are capable of shaping the future and
leading it, rather than being on the sidelines. Innovation is no
longer an intellectual luxury, but a prerequisite for survival, he
pointed out, warning that nations that fail to produce knowledge will
remain dependent on those who do.

Former Lebanese Minister Yacoub Sarraf warned against Western
innovation being diverted towards developing instruments of death,
military artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and phone hacking.
He called for an Arab-centered digital ecosystem built on
Arabic-language software rather than reliance on translated Western
systems.

Former Minister Maen Qatamin cautioned that while innovation powered
industrial revolutions, the accelerating pace of artificial
intelligence is generating unprecedented challenges, warning that a
coming wave of disruption could significantly impact jobs and
traditional markets as a handful of major technology firms tighten
their grip on the global economy.

The forum’s agenda covers the role of governments and international
organizations in supporting Arab innovation ecosystems, digital
transformation, cybersecurity, Arab water and food security,
artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and education, and
human development in the age of smart transformation.

//Petra// NQ