Amman, May 24 (Petra) – Eid Sweis, Chairman of Association of Information and Communication Technology Companies (Intaj), said the Kingdom’s ICT sector has witnessed a “qualitative” shift over the past decades, during which its revenues have increased nearly tenfold since the beginning of the millennium.

Sweis noted this growth has made the ICT sector a pillar of the national economy and reflects Jordan’s “success” story in independence and development, coinciding with the Kingdom’s celebrations of its 79th Independence Day.

In a statement on Saturday, he said this progress would not have been achieved without the Royal directives and continuous support of His Majesty King Abdullah II, who has directed, in various forums, to strengthen Jordan’s position as a “regional center” in the ICT field, develop digital infrastructure, and stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation.

Sweis added that His Majesty pays special attention to youth and digital entrepreneurship as the “true” gateway to the economy of the future.

These visions, he stated, have been translated into “clear” executive policies and integrated cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Sweis pointed to the diligent follow-up and high-level efforts exerted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in supporting the digital and technology sector.

Additionally, he referred to Crown Prince’s continuous monitoring of digital transformation projects, and his directives on the necessity of empowering youth in the digital economy and innovation, which have enhanced Jordan’s “attractiveness” for technology investment and provided an incubator environment for startups.

Now, Sweis indicated that the number of employees in the sector has reached over 46,000 currently, compared to only about 10,000 in 2000, marking a growth of more than 4.5 times, including about 10,000 employees working in the “outsourcing” sector for local, regional, and international companies that base their operations in Jordan.

Sweis stated the sector’s revenues have jumped from approximately $320 million in the early 2000s to over $3.6 billion today, recording a more than tenfold increase, reflecting the sector’s “vitality and its ability” to directly contribute to the gross domestic product.

In the education field, he said the number of graduates in information technology and engineering majors from Jordanian universities has increased from less than 1,000 per year at the beginning of the millennium to approximately 7,000 per year currently, 40 of whom are female.

Sweis announced over 39 universities, both public and private, offer specializations in the sector, enhancing qualified human capital.

To date, he noted the Kingdom currently has 3 telecom companies providing 4G services in all regions and 5G in major cities, with a plan to reach 50% 5G coverage by 2028 as part of strengthening the digital infrastructure.

Regarding startups, he indicated that a total of over 450 startups are operating in various sectors, mainly financial technology, e-learning, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, electronic games, and tourism, with support from specialized business accelerators and investment funds.

The sector’s exports of IT services and products have increased from less than $50 million two decades ago to over $300 million today, constituting a nearly six-fold increase, he pointed out.

Sweis said the telecom sector’s total revenues amounted to JD1.2 billion, while investment in the sector in 2023 amounted to approximately JD347 million.

Meanwhile, he stated 45 telecom service companies are licensed, and the percentage of fixed internet subscriptions has reached 7% (approximately 800,000 subscribers), while the internet coverage rate of cellular networks has reached 67%.
//Petra// AG
24/05/2025 11:59:37