When the latest Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI 2026) ranked Jordan 49th globally and 2nd regionally out of 135 countries, it sent a powerful message to the world. This is not just a dry statistic; it is official recognition that our country is steadily climbing to the top of the digital world. We are moving ahead of nations with much larger economies and scoring over eight points above the regional average. What makes this achievement truly remarkable is that the index looks at more than just raw technological capabilities. It measures the soul of our digital transformation—how responsibly and safely we harness artificial intelligence to serve human beings.

 

To understand the weight of this ranking, the index evaluates countries across three core pillars, beginning with government policies that define national strategies and laws. It then looks at enabling conditions such as digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and institutional readiness, before evaluating civil society engagement to see how active universities and communities are in shaping these frameworks. These three pillars are broken down into five critical areas that impact our lives every day, specifically focusing on inclusion and diversity, ethics and sustainability, labour and skills, trust and safety, and the use of AI in public service.

 

Our greatest source of pride comes from the labour and skills dimension, where Jordan proudly ranked 1st in the region and 20th globally. This incredible milestone belongs to our vibrant private information and communication technology sector, as well as the forward-thinking companies across various other industries. From telecommunications and IT companies to pioneering firms in finance, healthcare, logistics and beyond, Jordanian businesses are boldly adopting Deep Tech and driving real digital transformation. Our private sector is not just using AI; it is investing heavily in retraining our youth, creating high-quality jobs, and ensuring that tech innovation remains ethical and human-centred. This brilliant harmony between technology creators and tech adopters gives us full confidence that our best days are still ahead.

 

This success is the fruit of an integrated national approach mapped out by the Economic ModernisationVision, which positions the digital economy and entrepreneurship as primary engines for growth and employment. Within this national framework, an important role is played by the National Council for Future Technology, chaired by the Prime Minister, operating under the close follow-up and direct patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II.

 

Furthermore, this achievement highlights the incredible teamwork within our national ecosystem, driven by deeply rooted partnerships between academia, the private sector, and the public sector. It seamlessly brings together the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE), the architect of our National AI Strategy and Ethics Charter, alongside the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (intaj), which serves as the proud umbrella of the ICT private sector. This network operates as one unified team alongside the Digital Skills Association (DigiSkills), the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the Central Bank of Jordan. The ecosystem beautifully integrates the Higher Council for Science and Technology and its arm, the Scientific Research and Innovation Support Fund, while the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) acts as our shield for digital trust, and the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission ensures our university classrooms stay perfectly aligned with the fast-moving global tech market.

 

However, true ambition never rests, and to strengthen our competitive edge, Jordan must now transition from simple guidelines to binding, modern laws for AI governance and data privacy. We need to build flexible regulatory testing environments, often called sandboxes, open up government data for our innovators, startups, and researchers, and double our investment in applied scientific research. Actively funding home-grown Arabic AI solutions that carry a unique Jordanian fingerprint will allow us to project our innovations to regional and global markets. Ultimately, we must continue expanding dynamic partnerships between academia, the private sector, and the public sector to raise a generation that creates global technology rather than just consuming it.

 

What we have achieved proves that Jordan—with its institutional harmony, visionary private sector, and brilliant young minds—is fully ready to be the regional hub for responsible AI. At intaj, we see a historic opportunity before us, knowing that investing in the innovation of our private sector and the talent of the Jordanian people has always been, and will always be, our winning bet.

 

 

Nidal Bitar is CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (intaj).