Jordan Times
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
'Evolution under way'
By Rami Abdelrahman
DEAD SEA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said an evolution of information
and communications technology is under way in Jordan, urging regional
cooperation to create hope and opportunity for future generations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third Jordan ICT Forum, King Abdullah
told around 600 participants that the Kingdom's efforts to develop itself as the
region's ICT hub will benefit the entire Arab world, and that such a vital role
requires cooperation between Arab stakeholders.
“As we move forward, the world moves faster,” the King said, adding that the
Middle East and North Africa achieved only 1.5 per cent of total world exports,
and that only one out of three MENA region citizens finds a job in his/her own
country.
The King warned that the ratio could worsen to one out of five by 2010 if
regional countries do not cooperate more, adding that ICT allows all citizens to
become stakeholders in developing their future.
“ICT is moving our society forward, I believe that all citizens have potential
to succeed, and through education, Jordanians will find better opportunities...
once the door is open, no one is going to go back,” the King said.
As a keynote speaker yesterday, CEO and President of Cisco Systems Inc. John
Chambers said ICT and innovation ensure job creation.
He said the world is witnessing an information technology revolution similar to
the 19th century's industrial revolution.
“We believe that we will see this region during the next decade growing like
eastern Europe and eastern Asia did... the good thing about Jordan is that will
not only create employees but will also create jobs as it invests in
technology,” Chambers stressed.
He suggested that the region use its Internet networks as a strategic asset
providing a platform for data exchange, saying such evolution of networks
requires smarter, faster and lasting networks.
Chambers concluded his address saying future jobs will only be available for the
best-educated workforce, and can only be created when a country has a “strong”
ICT infrastructure, urging the region to work together towards that goal.
King Abdullah also encouraged the local private and public sectors to enhance
the quality of human resources so they become the Kingdom's competitive
advantage globally.
According to ICT Minister Fawaz Zu'bi, Jordan intends to play a regional role in
breaking barriers hindering investment, and provide a platform for regional
synergies.
Later, during a session entitled “Defining Routes for Regional Opportunities,”
Microsoft's chief technology officer in Europe and the MENA region said Jordan
is recognised worldwide as one of the top 10 most emerging countries globally in
terms of ICT.
During the same session, Lam Chuan Leong, chairman of Infocomm Development
Authority in Singapore, said Jordan and Singapore share the same characteristics
of being their region's ICT hubs, as well as sharing a Free Trade Area
agreement.
“In order to be a regional hub, each country should be well connected digitally
with the region and the world, should have the adequate infrastructure for data
exchange and open channels of communication, promote regional cooperation, and
should recognise and apply international standards,” he said.
The forum is held under the theme: “A Global Meeting of Minds in the Heart of
Digital Arabia — Jordan Connects.”