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