Page 54 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Digital Transformation of Jordan Focused at Conference

Jordan has demonstrated that digital transformation is a top
priority on the national agenda. The country has made enormous
strides in building a digital infrastructure to accelerate its move
towards a digital economy. More than 200 government and
industry experts from several ministries and industries and 30
expert speakers will brainstorm on new ideas and discuss the
roadmap for the future of digital transformation of the country
- at the 2nd Digital Transformation Jordan, which took place
on 14 – 15 March 2022, Kempinski Convention Center, Amman,
Jordan. Under the patronage of H.E. Ahmad Al Hanandeh, Minister
of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and organized by Great
Minds Events Management, the 2nd Digital Transformation Jordan
is the only event in Jordan to cover the entire digital ecosystem.
Digital infrastructure, skills, entrepreneurship, and digital financial
services and platforms are the main areas of focus for the Jordanian
government to reach its vision of creating a secure and inclusive
digital economy that achieves sustainable economic and social
development. Some of these critical issues will be addressed at
the forthcoming conference. The Minister of Digital Economy
and Entrepreneurship, H.E. Ahmed Al-Hanandeh, confirmed the
importance of the ministry’s participation in such conferences
to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the Kingdom
regarding how to implement digital transformation, and how it is
possible to take advantage of current opportunities to achieve international deliverables, trends, and practices adopted in this
achievements in ideal time. He says, “The digital transformation is regard, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals
an important role for economic and social development because of (SDGs) of 2030. In 2020, World Bank approved a US$200 million
its solutions in many financial, agricultural, industrial, health care, project to increase access for Jordanian youth to jobs and expand
security services and other sectors and the development of new government digital services. The Youth, Technology and Jobs
business models that could not have been developed in isolation project adopted an integrated approach to capitalize on Jordan’s
from digital transformation and modern technologies. Among the potential to grow its digital economy and absorb skilled labor to
government's priorities is to make digital technologies available address two main challenges facing the country, economic growth
and to ensure their efficient provision.” Digitization improves the and job creation. The project is expected to provide professional
outcomes of both the private and public sectors by streamlining skills to 30,000 youth, a technology curriculum in public school
business operations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grades 7 to 12, and workspaces in underserved communities. The
are enabled to enter the market and access finance and human project also supports access to markets for entrepreneurs and
talents. Digital transformation also provides the government the incentivise businesses to expand their operations in underserved
ability to distribute services and support to its citizens via digital communities. It will also improve access for youth to freelancing
mediums. Jordan which ranked 104th out of 193 countries in the platforms and improve government digital services and digital
Open Government Data Index (OGDI) in the UN E-Government payments. The project aims to generate 10,000 new income
Survey 2020, will start deploying 5G Network in the country in opportunities for youth in the coming five years, including women
2022 which is expected to be operational within 18 months, and (30%) and Syrian refugees in freelance opportunities (15%). It aims
currently implementing a major program to transform public to digitize more than 80 percent of government payments and
service delivery on the digital channels. Realizing that the country mobilize around US$20 million in new private sector investments
needs to catch up, the government launched Jordan Digital in digital services. Information technology activities achieved a
Transformation Strategy in 2020 that represents a strategic growth of 11.64 percent between 2014 and 2018 in Jordan, where
framework for Jordan’s digital transformation that outlines the annual revenues increased by about US$300 million. Mobile and
changes and strategic requirements needed to keep pace with the internet penetration rates reached 85 percent and 88.8 percent
progress of digital transformation globally, improve the delivery of respectively in 2018. The 2nd Digital Transformation Jordan
government services, and enhance the efficiency of government will focus on the legislative and regulatory framework needed
performance. This also includes meeting the needs of beneficiaries to keep pace with the rapid development of digital platforms,
(i.e. the government, citizens, residents, tourists, private sector, as well as the strategy and technologies to be adopted to drive
entrepreneurs, and civil society), improving the quality of life more innovation forward. There will be industry discussion sessions,
effectively, sustainably and reliably, and achieving well-being. The presentations by delegates and panel discussion on Jordan’s
Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship has developed digital transformation strategy, data and digital transformation,
this strategy based on the Jordan Vision 2025, as well as applicable cloud adoption and integration etc. Delegates and experts from

54 FEBRUARY 2022