Jordan Times
Thursday, September 16, 2004
ICT forum concludes
King Abdullah calls on government and private sector to `immediately
initiate a fund that would nurture homegrown innovation, while building a
culture of optimism and hope'
By Rami Abdelrahman
DEAD SEA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to
make Jordan the ICT hub of the Middle East — a strategy that would help attract
investment to the Kingdom and meet the aspirations of citizens.
During the closing session of the Jordan ICT Forum 2004, King Abdullah called on
the government and the private sector to “immediately initiate a fund that would
nurture homegrown innovation, while building a culture of optimism and hope
among Jordanians.”
The last session of the forum focused on the role of innovation and
entrepreneurship, citing Jordanian students who succeeded in building their own
innovative projects.
“In order to build systems that enable the Jordanian industry to stay on the
edge of technological innovation, we must back our youth because their
aspirations today will create the Jordan of tomorrow,” the King said.
“As we grow in the sophistication of our technological capacity, we must support
it with growth in our management capacity. It is not technology that we want to
export, but a culture of managerial know-how and the ability to deliver.”
Minister of ICT Fawaz Zu'bi told The Jordan Times that his ministry is currently
working with consultants to prepare and implement a nationwide strategy on
“capacity building in management.”
In his address, King Abdullah highlighted the role of strategic agreements with
global technology leaders, including Cisco and Microsoft, in emphasising the
development of a modern business culture into the government and the private
sector. The King stressed that despite achieving significant results over the
past few years, Jordan must remain consistent in its commitment. “I am confident
that together, we will transform Jordan to fully harness its potential in
information and communications technology,” the King said.
Meanwhile, the Monarch announced the launch of the Jordan Entrepreneurship
Centre, established with the cooperation of the MIT Entrepreneurship Centre in
the US, and pledged to follow up on its work closely.
Earlier, HRH Princess Sumaya, chairperson of the board of trustees of Princess
Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT), announced the establishment of a joint
MIT-PSUT award for young entrepreneurs' business plans.
More than 600 international, regional and local ICT leaders met during the forum
and exchanged views on building the future of ICT in Jordan and the region.
Held under the theme: “A Global Meeting of Minds in the Heart of Digital Arabia
— Jordan Connects,” the forum witnessed the signing of several agreements
related to new ICT strategies and privatisation plans.