Amman, Sept 16 (Petra) – A panel discussion, titled “Artificial
Intelligence for Development: Implications for Jordan and the
Region,” on Wednesday tackled Jordan’s efforts to enhance its
readiness to transition from adopting AI technologies to leveraging
them to generate economic and developmental value.

The session is part of the regional launch of the World Bank’s World
Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.
Jordan was the first country globally to host the launch event.

Participants included Minister of Education and Human Resources
Development Azmi Mahafzah and Minister of State for Public Sector
Development Badria Al-Balbisi. The session was moderated by Jordan
Strategy Forum CEO Nesreen Barakat.

It addressed the requirements for building the skills and
institutions needed to keep pace with the transformations driven by
AI, as well as the technology’s impact on education, the labor
market, government administration, and public services.

Mahafzah said education’s role must extend beyond teaching students
how to use AI tools, but focus on preparing a generation equipped
with skills and competencies that are becoming increasingly vital as
these technologies evolve.

He highlighted the importance of fostering students’ skills in
critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork, while
also enhancing their ability to critically evaluate information
generated by AI.

Jordan recognizes the magnitude of the transformations AI is bringing
to government administration, Al-Balbisi said, adding that the second
executive program of the public sector modernization roadmap includes
a component dedicated to data and emerging technologies, including
AI.

She said the government is working to come up with a more flexible,
integrated, and future-ready model, noting that work is underway to
launch a competency framework for integrating AI into the public
sector.

The framework covers various stages of the government administration
lifecycle, ranging from digital legislation and policies to digital
government procedures and workflows, and extends to the application
of AI in areas such as procurement, human resources management, and
listening to citizens while addressing their feedback and complaints,
said Al-Balbisi.

//Petra//SS